


Stay with me

by MG1995



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Abused Dean Winchester, Affectionate Castiel (Supernatural), Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Blood, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Omega Dean Winchester, Pain, Scared Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:02:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22362289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MG1995/pseuds/MG1995
Summary: Dean in an omega that fled from his alpha Alastair, to try to fulfill the promise he made to his brother years ago. In his attempt to survive the dangers of an omega alone, he meets Alpha Castiel, who promises to help him, not only to find his lost brother, but to be free from Alastair.But nothing will be easy for these two.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 30
Kudos: 101





	1. Dean

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first o / a / b, I am trying to make it my best, but I must warn you, I do not write in English, but as I would like more people to read this story, I decided to publish it in the language, so forgive any error, you can correct me if you think it is necessary, I do my best. I really hope you like the plot to overcome the language barrier :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this story there are two people that I would like to thank. Thanks_tacos, who was by my side from the beginning, motivating me to write something totally new for me but what I can't wait to do. He helped me and still does it with the translation of the chapters, from chapter three on, making what I write understandable in a language that is not mine. Thank you! I will be eternally grateful for helping me fulfill this dream.  
> And I would also like to thank Arianllyn who very kindly offered to edit the translation of chapters 1 and 2 that had not gone through that yet. Thank you very much, you contributed your grain of sand to make this story possible.

It was dark, and it was very cold. Or, maybe, it wasn't  _ that _ cold, but the thin clothes, and the lack of food, made him feel like there were many degrees less. His body trembled involuntarily, his teeth crashed into each other without care. He needed to find a place to shelter himself from night and the dangers of darkness before it was too late. Although Dean had no idea what time it was, or what day it was.

He had fled his Alpha, Alastair, a few days ago. On January 13, after twelve years living with him, under his rigorous “care,”he couldn't stand it anymore. He knew that if he did not leave that day, he would never have a chance again, and would end up dead at the hands of Alastair. He still has hope enough to fight for his life, and most importantly, find his little brother, who had been taken away a long time ago.

Dean had promised Sammy that he would find him, and although it had been a long time, he would still keep his promise, at whatever price. But right now, he was very hungry, and his body and feet ached from walking for hours.

He knew the dangers of an Omega being alone and without a collar walking the streets. He had been avoiding both crowded, and very isolated, places. He wasn’t sure where he was going, maybe to a small city where nobody knew him; maybe he could get a phone and call someone, but who?

Maybe he could hide in an abandoned house.He had already done that, once, but it hadn't turned out very well.

His head ached, possibly from hunger. When had he last eaten? He wondered, as he jumped a fence from a shed and hid behind the wall. His best option for a place to spend the night.

When he got away, he’d taken some food, but there was none left. He hadn't takenmoney, he didn't want his Alpha to get that angry. He would be angry, already, at his Omega being gone, but at least Dean hadn't stolen money.

He leaned back against the wall, hoping he could get some sleep. His jacket badly covered him from the cold, and his ribs hurt. His Alpha had hit him before he’d run away and then he had jumped off the bus before anyone saw him. That's why they hurt like hell now.

He closed his eyes. Occasional noises could be heard from cars passing, or sometimes from people. He was silent and afraid. If someone found him there, they could do anything to him. Dean would have a hard time trying to escape and hide. The idea of being so vulnerable terrified him, but he was so exhausted that he ended up falling asleep anyway.

The sound of busier morning traffic circulating brought him back to reality, with a desperate blow of his heart, and his mind already alarmed. He looked around to realize that the weather was beginning to clear up, and he was still alone. What a relief.

He knew he had to keep moving away from Alastair, although no distance was far enough. He wanted to go as far as he could to make sure Alastair could never found him. He knew that the Omegas System would have been advised of his escape, would be searching, and would not be kind to him if they found him. He didn't even want to think about that. He preferred to die than to have to go back to the system or his Alpha. If that happened, he knew there was no chance he would be able to keep his promise to Sammy, and that was even worse than death.

He stood, looking around and evaluating the possibilities. He ended up getting inside the shed, which was abandoned, with old things inside, and went out through the bottom, to a dirt road that didn't even have houses or people. He walked along way, until he had to divert from that road in order to be inside the city again.

He hid,in alleys and backyards that no one frequented, until he reached an end-of-way service station. When he looked down the road, he saw nothing, but knew it was dangerous for him to stay there. He hid behind a demolished building and watched as cars came and went. Many of the Alphas or betas drove in, left their vehicles, and entered the store to buy something. Dean had an idea, as crazy as the one that had made him get into the trunk of a bus a few days ago, but it was his best chance now. He had to keep putting distance between him and Alastair. He could get into a car, in the trunk, and head for some other city.

And that he did. He waited patiently until the perfect car approached. A man in his seventies, well-dressed,as if he were going to an important place, accompanied by a much younger woman, arrived in a large van. The man opened the rear door of the van, removed something from inside and placed it in the back seat, and then entered the store with the woman. It was the best opportunity, the van wasn’t too far from the gasoline dispensers, he would only have to run there …

He crouched down enough and hurried to eliminate the distance of the van, carefully opened the rear door, and got inside.It was dark and small, but no more uncomfortable than his usual cage, to which he had long ago become accustomed. He knew that he could stand a couple of hours in this place; he just prayed that the man would not open the door again right away.

He kept quiet, breathing as little as possible. He counted to seventy-three until the van got moving. He felt it in his body and stomach, and his emotions seized him. He was going to make it, he was further every minute. He would be able to stay away from Alastair forever.

What he had expected to be few hours turned out to be many, and it seemed to extend endlessly. Dean had no way of really knowing how many hours had passed - 3, 6, 10? But it felt like an eternity in there. His body ached again, his ribs shouted at every hole in the road the van passed over, and his arms and legs were stiff from being in the same position for far too long. He wanted to get out, and stay still, although he was sure he would still feel the rattle of the van several days later. He was dizzy, nauseous; it seemed like he was going to vomit at any moment, except for the fact that he had nothing in his stomach to bring back up.

In spite of everything, he must have fallen asleep. When he opened his eyes, a white light blinded him, and he could not see who had him when two strong hands held him by the arms and dragged him out of the van and to the ground, and then a little more, down a dirt road, scraping his hands and knees.

"What are you doing in my van?" shouted the man. He was very angry; Dean could smell it. Although this was not _his_ Alpha, Alphas in general had stronger odors, and the smell of anger and anger of this one was suffocating him.

"Sorry, sorry ..." was all Dean could gasp out. He was dizzy, his ribs were throbbing, and now his knees and hands ached as well. He was sure that his fear could be smelt from miles away.

"Are you running away from your Alpha, Omega?" Theman held Dean by the collar of his jacket. Before Dean could react, he was slapped in the face so hard that it sent him to the ground. 

"I'm going to call the Omega System to come and get you and take you to your Alpha, damn Omega ..."

Dean had remained on the ground, trembling, tasting the iron of the blood in his mouth, whispering apologies;but when he heard the man say that he would call the System to pick him up, he drew strength from his fear, crawled until he was kneeling before the unknown Alpha, begging for him not to do that.

"Please, don't do call, I'll do whatever you want ..."

"Leave it, don't mess, Roger,"the young woman with the Alpha intervened. She smelled soft as a beta, and looked just as carefree as the betas Dean knew, and she didn't wear a collar.

Dean didn't understand what her intentions were, until she gave him a quick look of mercy.

"You know how disgusting I find omegas," the man spat.

She approached him sweetly."I know, dear. That's why we'll leave it here. But leave it alone. It hasn't stolen anything." 

"He should be made to go back to his Alpha to be punished ..." The Alpha was still loud, but he already seemed calmer and the scent of his anger was diminishing.

"If you call the System, we’ll have to wait here, and it will take hours. We're already late for the congress," she continued, stroking his arm gently, her very sweet face persuading him to do as she advised.

Dean thought she was trying to help him, but he wasn't sure. Just in case, he was still in his place on his knees, hoping the beta could convince the Alpha.

"You're right, the trouble isn’t worth it," said the Alpha, finally. Dean took a breath, but continued looking at the ground, arms wrapped around his aching body.

"Perfect, love, come on!" the beta said. She pulled a bottle of water and a wrapped sandwich from the backseat and left it next to Dean."Be careful," she whispered.

Dean corroborated the existence of the gifts with a quick glance to his side.

"Come on!" the Alpha shouted, already angry again.

The two got back in the van and drove away along the dirt road, leaving a cloud of dust. Dean stayed still, unable to believe his luck. Not only had he been spared the call to the System, butthe beta had left him food and water. He quickly unwrapped the sandwich and ate it so fast that he almost couldn’t tell what it was. Chicken, maybe? He knew he shouldn't eat a stranger’s food, it was a risk; but he was so hungry that if he didn’t do something, he would pass out in that place, and that was a worse risk.

He drank only a little water and saved the rest. He could see nothing on the horizon and it might take hours to get somewhere where he could get more.

As a precaution, he moved away from the road, behind the trees. He didn't want to try his luck again. He had no idea where he was, or even what day it was. He tried to keep out of sight as he walked.

When Dean arrived at a service station located on the edge of a small town, the sun was rising on the horizon.

He was terribly thirsty. The water he had been given by the beta had run out many hours ago, despite his attempts to drink it slowly. He went into the men's room and sipped from the tap as much water as he could. An Alpha entered the room and stopped dead when he saw Dean.

Dean also stopped, staring in horror at the man. His Alpha scent permeated everything; he didn’t smell angry, but excited and alcoholic – which might be worse. He appeared to be in his thirties, and he wore elegant clothes; not a suit and tie, but still, an outfit that seemed very expensive.

"An Omega, huh ... no Alpha, no collar ... you lost, baby?" he asked, entering the tiny space and dangerously approaching Dean, who looked down at his feet as he backed up a few steps until his back hit the wall.

"My Alpha is out," he lied, and it was obvious he did.His dirty and torn clothes gave him away, but more than that, the absence of a collar, and, just as surely, the horrible smell of his fear.

"Liar," snapped the Alpha before hitting him in the stomach. "Don’t you know that you shouldn’t lie to an Alpha? Do you think you’re smart? Do you think you’re better than an Alpha?" He grunted, hitting Dean again right over the ribs.

Dean fell to the floor, protecting his stomach with one hand and his head with the other.

"Sorry, please, don't hurt me ..." he begged, but even he could hear how pathetic and weak his own voice sounded. 

The Alpha began to unfasten the belt of his pants, but before he managed it, another man came into the room. Dean heard the door open, but was unsure if the Alpha by his side had stopped. He glanced up to see that the one who had just entered was an Omega, too. He wore a necklace, and a uniform. He seemed to work at the service station.

"Sir, you can't mistreat Omegas in this place," said the Omega, his voice firm. "I have permission to enforce the rules of my company."

The Alpha opened his mouth to say something, but before anything came out of his mouth, the Omega took Dean by the arm and lifted him off the floor, leading him out of the bathroom.

"Who do you think you are to tell me what I can and can't do?!" The Alpha roared, already very angry.

Dean was shaking, he didn't want to be hurt, but he also didn't want other Omegas to get hurt because of him. He knew that many Omegas were authorized to work, with permission granted by their Alphas and the System, and some places hired them. Restaurants, shops, service stations - places where the politics of the place protected Omegas or where they believed they could be good officials serving Alphas and betas.

The angry Alpha cinched the Omega's arm trying to help him, and pushed him away, pouncing on Dean again.

"If it's nobody's, I'll take it," the man spat, taking Dean hard by the arm.

Dean tried to let go, but the Alpha's hand more resembled claws that squeezed his arm tightly, cutting off the blood circulation, and reminded him of Alastair; when he got angry he seemed super strong, and would grab Dean so tightly it hurt, or tie him with a rope just as tight. He still had scars on his arms and wrists from that.

He dragged a couple of steps towards his car blue but before they could get too close, others came to help Dean.

An Alpha.Dean knew it was Alpha because he wasn’t wearing a collar, he had his head up, and he wore a suit and raincoat; and he smelled strong, but it was a scent Dean couldn’t decipher. His penetrating gaze, and the way his forehead purse also caught Dean’s attention. He had marked features, not really delicate. A beard was starting to make its presence known, and his dark brown hair was ruffled and unruly. It looked like he had just gotten up, or he had been traveling for hours. His gaze first turned to the Alpha that held Dean, and then for a fraction of a second, on Dean himself.

The Omega’s stomach turned over. He was afraid that, now that there were two Alphas who appeared to want him, he was done for. He knew that nothing could be done to stop them from claiming him. He was nothing more than an Omega without an Alpha, without a collar, subject to anyone, and his actual Alpha was many hours away. No one in this place would mind him being hurt, assaulted, and used.

To Dean's great astonishment, the newcomer Alpha, who had stormed into the scene, took the first Alpha’s arm and stopped him.

"You had better let go," he said, firmly, his voice rough. Dean had no doubt that the blood in his body stopped circulating at the sound.

"Is this your Omega, then?" the first Alpha snapped.

"No, but I won't let you hurt him anyway," the second Alpha spat.

Was he older, or maybe around Dean's age? Dean wanted to evaluate it, but from where he was, with his arm still in the grip of the other, he could hardly do more than look at the floor.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't let you hurt that Omega here. It's bad for business, if you understand me. We're an area free of Omega abuse," said the Omega shop manager, pointing to a plaque attached to the door of the store. "The Alphas that let their Omegas work here like to know that they are safe,” he explained.

"This Omega doesn't work here, he doesn't wear a collar, he doesn't have an Alpha ... what can bother anyone if I claim him?" shout the first Alpha, hysterically.

"Let it go," roared the second Alpha, and Dean felt the floor wobble beneath his feet. He didn't want this mess, there shouldn't be so much chaos around him. If the System caught him now, he was in real trouble. He’d be blamed for causing two Alphas to fight each other, not to mention the general uproar caused in the gas station.

"I have to ask you, please ..." the manager began, taking Dean's free arm. 

And suddenly Dean was caught between the first Alpha and the other omega, neither willing to let go of him. The first Alpha started to scream, but a strong blow hit him on the chin and threw him to the floor. When the Alpha fell, Dean’s eye was hit by the Alpha’s hand accidentally, and he felt a sharp pain and was unable to see. The darkness kept him on his knees still for a few seconds, while he tried to regain control of his body.

Before he could do anything, the second Alpha, crouched urgently by his side. Dean reacted immediately and instinctively backed away toward the closest wall.

The voices and the Alpha on the ground stunned him, but they managed to scare him even more when he realized they were still arguing because of him. He was afraid that someone had already called the System. He wanted to run, but his body and legs would not obey him.

He heard a sweet voice."Calm down, just breathe," it said. It was peaceful, as if it wanted to help him. 

Then Dean caught the smell, it smelled like an Alpha. It was strong, like all Alphas, but not as strong as his own Alpha’s scent always seemed. He could distinguish the aroma of herbs and wild flowers. It wasn't sweet at all, but it somehow gave him peace of mind.

The second Alpha, still next to him, placed a hand on Dean's leg, and the Omega squirmed further away, leaning back hard against the wall. The stunned Alpha quickly withdrew his hand. It gave him peace of mind, but Dean knew Alphas didn't usually have good intentions.

"Sorry ..." said the Alpha, with what seemed like a sincere apology. Dean looked up, confused with his words, but as soon as he saw the blue eyes of the Alpha, he looked down at the floor. He knew he shouldn't look Alphas in the eye. He never learned, Alastair always told him, he was a stupid, slow Omega, that he didn’t retain the things he was taught, and he was always doing something wrong.

"Come on, Castiel!” someone yelled. The second Alpha, the one who’d tried to help him, shifted uncomfortably.

That was his name? Castiel?

"Come on, we’re late for court," said the same voice, now closer. 

Castiel hesitated, but then, with a heavy sigh, he stood up. Dean heard his footsteps moving away.

The Omega stayed where he was, but there was no noise around it now; the screams, and voices of angry Alphas were gone. But he was still dizzy, dazed, and bleeding.

"You made a good scandal, boy. Try to stay still. Any more ruckus and I will be forced to expel you from this place," said the manager, as he opened a bottle of water and handed it to him.

Dean didn't grab it. He knew it had just been opened, so it probably wasn't poisoned, but he really believed he wasn't capable of actually moving just then. His whole body was shaking.

The manager looked at him for a few seconds, then chose to leave the bottle on the floor, near the Omega.

"In case you want it later," he said, pushing the bottle in his direction.

Cuando los nervios de Dean finalmente se calmaron, la sangre comenzó a circular normalmente, y sus latidos volvieron a un ritmo aceptable, extendió una mano temblorosa, agarró la botella y bebió casi la mitad. Guardaría el resto para más tarde.

Al atardecer, los clientes se habían ido. El gerente de Omega cerró la tienda. Muchos Alfas habían entrado durante la tarde, pero nadie se había acercado a donde estaba Dean, y eso de alguna manera lo alivió. El gerente le dijo que podía pasar la noche en este lugar mientras estaba encerrado. Dean estaba agradecido. Mañana, con energía renovada, podría continuar su camino. Tenía que encontrar a su hermano.


	2. Castiel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm back :)  
> We continue with Cas now, seeing things from their perspective. This chapter was going to be together with the one, but it seemed to me that it would be very extensive, so I opted to set it apart.  
> Remember that I am not fluent in English, so I beg you to forgive my mistakes and understand if you see many of these, I use the google translator and we all know that it is not very good :/ Any comments, suggestions, wishes, what you want to do, do it! I love it, comments are love <3

Castiel left court already quite tired. It was a lost cause. There was no way to help the man unless he assumed responsibility for the crimes, and he seemed stubborn enough not to do so. Although that did not surprise him too much, his father's causes always used to be lost causes. What he didn’t understand was why his father had been so determined to defend him.

Zachariah met him in the hall. He was even more unbearable than usual. He always wanted things to be achieved  _ now _ , no matter what anyone else said or did. Castiel had had to bear his presence the entire car trip to the courthouse, and he could hardly stand to hear his voice. Yet, Castiel turned when he saw him, already knowing that he had to endure the man's complaints.

"You have to convince him, you have to gain some advantage. If he does not assume the authorship he will die a prisoner, and your father will be very ..."

"I know very well how my father will be, and that is no longer my concern," Castiel replied, angrily. He shouldn't be here in the first place, he had only accepted because his father had been very insistent. 

"Well, it will be your concern! It is your case, now!" Zachariah growled.

Frankly, he didn't know how his father could work with such despicable people.

"I'm going to get some air. Don't follow me!" he was quick to add, when he realized that Zachariah had followed him in the few steps he took to the door.

Outside, the day was horrible, sky cloudy and the air unbearably heavy. It looked as if it might rainat any moment, and all Castiel wanted was to return to the comfort of his home, of his city. 

He had moved away from his father a couple of years ago, when he realized that there was no possibility of changing his mind, and that he often forgave the sins of people who did not deserve the least forgiveness. Castiel knew that he was no one to judge people, as he was a lawyer with less than ten years of practice, but at least his own clients were more moral.

He had studied law partly because of his father's influence, but also because he liked it. It was something that had been in the family for centuries, and he’d wanted to keep up the tradition, but five and a half years ago he had decided to go out on his own. Free will, he had called it.

He left his father's established, conservative law firm, where another of his brothers worked, to hang out his own shingle. His own firm, which, to tell the truth, was one of the best in the city where he lived, now.

He was proud that he’d left; of his independence, his success, and, mainly, of his having stayed away from the family.He had always despised how they treated the Omegas. Almost everyone in his family was Alphas, which made them believe they had superior blood. Castiel didn't believe that, at all, but he knew that many Alphas did.

He’d walked about a block. He entered a coffee shop, sat at a table, and ordered a café au lait. He was trying to think of some way to convince his client to take responsibility for the crime and reduce his sentence by a couple of years, but he became distracted when a memory invaded his mind, of the Omega he had seen this morning.

He had been thinking about the poor boy all the way to this place, and for some reason he had not been able to get him out of his mind. He remembered how that disgusting Alpha had been brutally dragging him to his car, and the despicable things he could read in his eyes, while in the eyes of the Omega, when he’d dared to look up at Castiel and look him in the eye, he’d seen sadness, much fear and… something else. Castiel wasn't sure what it was, but as crazy as it seemed, it might have been bravery.

He thought he might have misunderstood what had happened. He probably should not have intervened as he had, Alphas tended to get very violent when someone got into their relationship with their Omegas. But he’d tried to defend an Omega that was in trouble, and he was glad of it, because the Omega had smelled so scared, the scent had almost made him nauseous when he first perceived it. While he knew that many Alphas enjoyed that smell of fear and terror, he wasn’t one of them. He just hoped the damn man hadn't come back to hurt the Omega,and that no one else had, either. He couldn't deny it, he had been worried about the unknown Omega like he had never been worried about others before, and he had no idea why that was happening, since he probably wouldn't see him again.

He remembered that he’d looked so helpless cornered against the wall, he was so pale, his eyes and body showing signs of exhaustion – andabuse.

That had been one of the reasons he had moved away from his family's life and his father's law firm. All the Alphas he’d grown up with held their Omegas as prizes. They mistreated and hurt them, as if they were not persons, but some kind of toy that they could move, touch, torture, and play with at their whim. That kind of thing made him sick to his stomach, and Castiel had given up his family's prestige, in order to better serve his own convictions, and avoid all those things he detested.

But unfortunately he had not managed to cut the bond with his father. His father kept looking to him when he needed favors, since he said Castiel was the best at convincing someone to change their mind. As much as Castiel tried to refuse him, he always ended up giving in to his father. As he had now. At least, after he’d done the favor, his father would leave him alone for a while…generally.

He returned to court just before the heavy rain broke. He spent almost an hour locked up with the accused, trying to change his mind. Just when everything seemed lost, the man finally gave in, and when he went back to the courtroom, he pled guilty, and finally acted somewhat repentant. It was late in the afternoon by then, so the jury retired for the day, and they would have to wait until morning for the verdict and sentencing.

Everyone dispersed. Castiel settled in the hotel where he would spend the night. Nothing refined and luxurious; he liked warm and comfortable things, but a simple, small bedroom with a bathroom was enough for him. Unlike the huge room in one of the best hotels in the city, where he knew Zachariah was staying.

In the morning, Castiel got up early, checked his e-mail and his messages, to make sure he had nothing pending or that something urgent had come up while he slept, a habit tended to while still reclining in bed, trying to adapt to the fact that he had to get up. After bathing and changing, he went down to breakfast.

He didn't usually have breakfast. He usually got up and went straight to the office, eating something in the middle of the morning. But here, it was different; a table with a variety of foods awaited him and he was not going to deny himself that.

After a loaded breakfast, he left the hotel, and discovered that it had not stopped raining all night, and, even now, water was falling just as hard as if it was just beginning. Castiel rolled his eyes, he really hated wet weather. He drove to the courthouse, thankful he didn’t have to pick up Zachariah. He still remembered the contempt Zachariah had called him with, while he was trying to help that Omega at the gas station. Alpha Zachariah was no different from his family.

After almost an hour and a half of waiting, the jury came in, and they learned that the factor of the man taking responsibility had convinced them to convict him of a lesser-included offense, reducing the sentence by seven years, a much better victory than Castiel had expected.

He said goodbye to his client, and to Zachariah, who would continue the case going forward. As he stepped outside the building, he received a text message from his father, telling him that he’d had no doubt that his son would succeed, and that he had deposited money in his account as payment for the excellent work done. At first Castiel thought of protesting, but then decided to accept the money, as he had done a job. He answered with a quick text back to his father and turned the cell phone off. He still had to stop by the hotel, pick up his things and resume his trip. He did not intend to spend more time in this city, and longed to return home.

Picking up his things at the hotel, paying for his lodging, and leaving the city took almost three hours. His route home would take just under sixteen hours. He would arrive home late that night, but at least tomorrow was Saturday and he would have a free weekend dedicated to analyzing cases and preparing for future legal processes.

As he drove, the memory of the Omega of the previous day came back to him, and, almost without thinking,he diverted to the road where the gas station was. It was only a few minutes’ detour, and it cost him nothing to check. He didn't know why that need arose, but refusing it felt inconceivable.

Under heavy rain, he drove into the station’s lot, looking for the Omega through the windows, but at first glance, he saw nothing.

He left the car parked near the store and headed inside. He asked an Omega employee where the toilets were, desperately trying to find an excuse to be there, then went to the bathroom and spent five minutes trying to decide what to do. He wanted to know what had happened to the Omega, but didn't know where that sudden impulse came from. Finally, he left the bathroom, his raincoat was moving as he walked so that the rain dripped from it, wetting everything he passed.

He approached the counter when he recognized the manager that had also intervened for the Omega the day before. 

Castiel approached the counter with a bottle of water, and when he went to pay, the manager smiled at him with a nod.

"Um..." Castiel began, unsure how to start. "Do you know how that Omega is?" The words came out of his mouth almost without permission and without prior thought. The man looked up from his tasks and raised an eyebrow as he tried to recognize him, until he finally seemed to do so. "Oh yes! You are the Alpha who intervened to help the Omega!" He said smiling, looking more relaxed.

"Yes, it's me. Castiel, nice to meet you," Castiel introduced himself because he thought it was right, and he was stuck without knowing how to continue.

"Bobby, you can call me Bobby."

Castiel smiled. He liked this guy.

"The boy is still here. We tried to talk to him, but he hasn’t opened his mouth. He seems very scared, and I can tell you that he hasn’t eaten anything, though that we have tried to give him things," he explained, circling the counter to leave the place. "Garth!" the manager called. A skinny, tall boy appeared, also an Omega, wearing a thin and shiny necklace. "Watch the counter for a moment. Don't get distracted!" The Omega nodded and positioned himself behind the counter, looking extremely energetic.

"He’s eaten nothing?" Castiel asked, looking really worried.

"Not at all. We think he is afraid we’d put poison or sedatives in our food and call the System ..."

Bobby guided him outside, protecting himself from the rain on the small roof overhang that surrounded the place.

"Were you hurt by that other Alpha?" Castiel questioned, following the man to the rear of the station.

"I wasn’t, but that idiot pushed the Omega, and his eye is swollen. I tried to have one of my Omegas heal him but he won’t let them get close. In a few days, I will have to call the System, I can't let him die at the back of my business without doing anything,"he explained.

"The System will not help either him or you," Castiel snapped.

The manager shrugged, and then pointed to the corner. Castiel moved forward four steps, and saw the Omega.He was leaning against the wall, trying to protect himself from the rain, but he was drenched. Even though he hugged his legs with his hands, Castiel could see that he trembled.

Castiel moved slowly, afraid to scare him, but the Omega didn't seem to notice his presence. His eyes were closed and he barely opened them when Castiel knelt beside him.

"This isn’t right," Castiel told the manager, looking up.

"He has been there since this morning, I am not surprised if he’s sick.”

Castiel reached out and placed tried to take the Omega’s temperature with the back of his hand. He knew that the boy might not react well, but he barely even opened his eyes.

"He isburning up with fever," Castiel said, unable to hide his concern.

"Cold. I'm very cold."It took Castiel a few seconds to realize that it was the Omega who had spoken, and when he did, he was shocked by his rough voice. It seemed that it was difficult for him to speak, as well as to remain conscious. 

At that moment, when the Omega opened his eyes and looked at him with those olive-green eyes, stained with pain, Castiel knew that he would do anything to help him. He understood now that they had an almost supernatural connection – hehad diverted to that gas station to come to the aid of this Omega yesterday. Suddenly, everything made sense. 

"There’s a blanket in the back seat of my car. Go get it," he told the manager, handing him the keys. The man did not delay, leaving with hurried steps.

"You'll be fine," he said, pulling a few strands of blond hair from the forehead of the Omega.

While Bobby was gone, Castiel analyzed the damage. The Omega's left eye was almost swollen shut and badly bruised. His clothes were threadbare, and filthy. The boy looked weak and malnourished. It seemed like it might have been days since he’d last eaten. His eyes were dilated, his skin too pale; everything about him spoke of exhaustion, neglect, and abuse.

"Here," said Bobby, handing Castiel the blanket.

Castiel tookthe blanket and wrapped it around the body of the Omega. The Omega was still shaking, and except for the moment when he’d said he was cold, Castiel doubted that he was really conscious. But he felt he had to try.

"Can you stand up?" He asked, delicately holding the Omega's arms to try to propel him upward.

The boy babbled something unintelligible.

"Where are you taking him?" Bobby asked a little worried.

"Home with me," Castiel said, without hesitation. "He needs care, attention, food ... he can't be left here, outdoors, he’lldie." His words sounded harder than he intended.

"We tried to give him food and heal his wounds, but he didn't want us touching him. Why do you think that with you it will be different?" the manager asked.

"I have to believe it. I'm not going to leave him here. God help me, but I will take him with me," Castiel replied, without measuring his words.

The manager snorted, undecided and insecure. Then he apparently decided that it was better to let the Alpha take the Omega than to let the boy die at the rear of the station, or having to call the System, who would surely simply punish him for running away, then throw him in a cage without giving him aid. Although Bobby hadn't heard it from the Omega, he knew it could only be a case of escape.

"Okay," he said, approaching to help.

Between the two of them, they put the Omega on his feet and guided him to Castiel's car, getting him settled in the passenger seat. Castiel put on the seatbelt so that he’d be safe, and covered him more with the blanket. He turned on the heating of the vehicle and closed the doors, then turned back to Bobby.

"I think it's better that you don't say anything about him ..." he started, but the manager raised his hand to stop him.

"I won't. Take my card, call me to give me good news." He handed him thecard.Castiel nodded silently as he put it in his pocket.

He said goodbye to the manager and got into the car. The temperature inside was much warmer already. The Omega still seemed unconscious, yet was whispering unintelligibly.

Castiel set the car in motion and drove away. Suddenly, really aware of what he had done, he looked to the side and saw the Omega wrapped in his blanket, asleep, and knew that he had made the right decision.


	3. Castiel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I have returned with more! We continue from Cas's point of view for now, but soon we will have much more of Dean;) I wanted to tell you that for this chapter I had a special help with the language, as you know I do not use fluent English, but I think that in this chapter you will notice positive changes .  
> Anyway, I hope you continue enjoying the story, and as always, I await your comments!

Castiel drove all the way without being able to stop looking at the Omega. He seemed to continue to have a fever, which worried him a lot, and he was also very wet, something that didn't help at all.

But he didn't seem to be really aware, and Castiel wondered how much the Omega knew of what was going on. He seemed to dream and murmur words that sounded bad.

Time passed slowly and even though it was less than two hours from home, the trip became eternal.

The darkness of the night began to beat the day, leaving a path of artificial lights where they passed. Castiel eliminated the distance to his house, and when he finally slowed down to enter the parking lot of the building where he lived, he felt that he was starting to breathe again, realizing how nervous and tense he had been all the way.

He parked the car in its usual place and got out of it, then circled it to get to the passenger's side. He opened the door and unfastened the safety belt, while the Omega muttered something Castiel did not understand.

"You have a fever, but you'll be fine," he said, as if the boy could understand, but maybe he did hear his voice.

Under the blanket he was still shaking ; Castiel could feel it while he helped him walk the few steps to the elevator. In the small space, he felt the soft breath of the Omega, and for a few seconds he opened the green eye that was not bruised and, after looking around searchingly, stared at Castiel, opening his eye even more, looking so terrified as if confused, to try to get away from the grip of the Alpha, but all he achieved was to stagger and bang against the opposite wall.

The Omega got dizzy as soon as he hit his back, and Castiel rushed to hold him so as not to drop him. He really looked very fragile, and the Alpha held him tightly against his body, until he entered his apartment and turned on the light and set it to maximum power, so he could fully illuminate the room. 

It was actually a fairly large studio apartment. When Castiel was looking for a place to move, he had considered having an open bathroom as well, but then came to the conclusion that if he had guests, they probably wouldn't have felt very comfortable not having walls that would give them privacy when they went to the bathroom. Not that many people visited his house anyway, some betas with whom he went out occasionally, and perhaps some friends, from time to time, but now he had a complete stranger entering his apartment.

Castiel almost smiled at the irony of that. He didn't go out or invite many friends until he brought a stranger home.

"Come on, you need to take a warm bath to lower the fever," Castiel told the boy, leading him to the private bathroom.

Without much difficulty, since the omega had returned to his unconscious state, he sat him on the toilet and moved to turn on the tap so that the bathtub was filling with water, checking the temperature until he was sure it was correct. Then he approached the omega and removed the blanket with great care not to hurt him. When he tried to take off his shirt, the Omega opened his eyes suddenly and resisted, it was nothing abrupt or forceful, he barely had the strength to remain seated, but even so Castiel stopped, not wanting to scare him more than he already had.

"I just want to help you, you need to take a bath, and for that I have to take your clothes off… let me help you, alright?"

The Omega watched him for a few more seconds, with those green eyes confused but still very bright. Then he dropped his head against the wall, and his arms fell to his side. He suddenly surrendered, and Castiel knew he was surrendering, deciding to trust him because he had no more choices.

"I won't hurt you," he said, in a low but firm whisper. He wanted the boy to know.  
Castiel took off the plaid shirt the Omega was wearing and dropped it to the side, he had to wash all the boy's clothes.

He was shocked to see the Omega’s ribs bruised purple, and in some places a horrible teal.

"Will they be broken?" He asked himself more than someone in particular, but he didn't get any answers.

He also saw that the Omega had scars, mainly on his arms, but they looked very ugly and deep. And he also saw some burn marks, which looked like they were from cigarettes, in random places on his chest and arms. The left eye was quite swollen, and the cut of about three centimeters was visible on the top of the cheek. He could handle that easily once it was clean.

He tried to ignore those marks to focus on the task at hand. He unfastened the jeans’ belt and opened the zipper. He looked up at the Omega, hoping to see his reaction, but instead he found that the boy had his eyes closed, and was too pale.

Castiel rushed to his feet and the jeans slid carelessly to the floor. He took off the Omega’s shoes and socks and stripped him of all his clothes, to guide him carefully inside the bathtub that was already full.

When the Omega entered, a wave of water spilled out, but Castiel did not worry about it, but the grimace of pain he saw on the boy's face.

“It will only hurt at first, then we will put some cream on your wounds and you will feel much better. Trust me,” he knew that they barely knew each other, but he hoped he could reassure the omega.

He helped him bathe, or he almost did the whole job, stopping where the Omega complained, and running the bath sponge very gently over his ribs. But they weren't broken, at least he could check. Just very bruised. They would heal, as well as the rest of his wounds, and he would be in charge of preparing something tasty to feed him.

The alpha did not forget to check if the omega had any mark of some other alpha, and in fact, he had. Two, to be exact. One on each shoulder, and one of them looked quite recent. Castiel knew of the practice that some alphas had to bite their omegas again when, after the years, the mark began to fade and became an old scar. It was a fairly common practice, unnecessary in Castiel's eyes, but made the ownership clear. The omega that was in his bathtub, semi-unconscious, had an alpha, which meant that he was running away. It meant that they were in trouble, both of them, if the System found out about it.

Ignoring the warning voice in his mind, he helped the omega out of the bathtub and wrapped him in a clean gray towel. He sat him on the toilet again and dried him carefully. He was already beginning to feel the soft vanilla smell of the Omega, but it was so faint that it was difficult to be sure, although Castiel thought it was a lovely smell that the boy gave off. At the moment he wasn't scared, or nervous.

Castiel took a small first aid box out of the closet. He would start with what looked uglier: the left eye.

"I'm going to clean your eye, okay?" he waited for an answer until the Omega nodded silently.

"I'm going to need you to help me, do you think you can do that?" he tried again.

"Yes," the Omega whispered.

"Perfect," Castiel couldn't help a happy smile that appeared on his face. It was nothing more than monosyllables, but at least it was something.

"What's your name?" he questioned, fearful of not getting an answer.

There was a long silence, and Castiel chose to continue working on the wound. He wiped it with a clear liquid to clean it, it was not very deep and would be fine with time. Then, he applied the red disinfectant and luckily it was painless.

He was finishing placing small bandages over the wound when he heard the omega's voice again. Hoarse and almost so low that Castiel wasn't sure he heard it well.

"Dean," the Omega whispered.

"Dean?" he asked to be sure, savoring the boy's name in his mouth.

The omega nodded and Castiel smiled again. They were making progress, no doubt.

Castiel walked away for a few seconds and returned with ice wrapped in a tablecloth to hand it to the Omega. "You have to press it to your eye and that will make the swelling go down," he explained, handing him the ice, and after a few seconds of doubt, the omega took it and put it in the right place. He leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes.

Castiel continued to spread gel over the bruised ribs and he covered some of the other wounds with white cream so that they would heal better. When he finished he helped the omega dress in his clothes, a pair of boxers he didn't wear much, cotton pants and a blue short sleeved shirt.

Castiel guided Dean to the bed where he covered him up to the neck with blankets, without the omega complaining at all, and he put a wet cloth on his forehead to lower the fever.

He went to the kitchen cabinet and found some flu pills, picked up a glass of water and walked over to the bed, but Dean was sleeping soundly. Castiel didn't want to wake him up, he was probably resting for the first time in a long time. And Castiel himself was exhausted. It was already past two in the morning.

He lowered the intensity of the light so that it was no more than dim, enough to see where he was going, but not to bother him as he slept. After making sure that everything was fine with the Omega, he went to the garage and retrieved his suitcase from the car; he’d left it when he came upstairs with Dean.

Luego, entró en su apartamento y se dejó caer en el sofá. Quería preparar algo de comer para Dean, tal vez sopa con muchas verduras, pero dormiría un par de horas antes de hacer algo. Necesitaba cargar sus baterías. Algo le decía que cuando se despierte, no será un día fácil.


	4. Dean

Dean woke slowly, feeling the scent of something tasty and a gentle breeze that caressed his face. He stretched his body, feeling comfortable and warm.Even with his eyes closed, he felt with his hands what he had within reach and a soft cloth brushed his hands. He smiled in pleasure, but then another thought went through his mind. That was wrong. He shouldn't feel so comfortable and warm.

If he had fallen asleep in Alastair's bed he was in trouble, but he had no idea how that could have happened. In all the years that had been Alastair's Omega he had never lain in his bed, except for when he had sex in bed. Sometimes, but it was only for a moment, then he had to sleep in his cage.

And suddenly he remembered, he had fled his Alpha, had been wandering the roads trying to run away and make it possible to find his brother. None of this comfort made sense.

He suddenly opened his eyes and sat up on the bed quickly. His breathing was agitated and he brought a trembling hand to his chest trying to calm down.

Suddenly a scent of Alpha approached, it was soft, but Dean felt worried. And then followed a blue-eyed Alpha who appeared before Dean. He wore a white apron over black jeans and a blue shirt.

“Dean, calm down, you are safe here”

Dean sniffed the air, looking for any sign of threat, but there was nothing. Only the concern he had felt from the beginning, but even so he lowered his eyes, showing respect, he knew that Alphas are never looked directly in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, Alpha," he whispered, also aware that it was good to apologize.

But something terrified him even more. He was in the bed of an Alpha. As soon as he realized that he moved the blankets that covered him and tried to stand up. But without much success, since a dizziness threatened to take him directly to the floor, if not for the Alpha that supported him. But that only scared Dean more, who backed away in reaction, scooting to the corner of the bed, against the headboard, wrapping his arms around his legs.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Alpha ..." he whispered in a hoarse voice and with a dry throat.

"It’s fine, it’s fine," the Alpha interjected, clenching his fists, which sent a shiver down Dean's spine, he was going to hit him. This Alpha was going to hit him, and knock him out again, it would make him feel more pain than he was feeling, he was sure of that, but instead the Alpha seemed to relax his fists and stepped away from the bed. Looking as scared as the Omega.

"You are still weak, you must eat something ... I am preparing a vegetable soup to feed you, you will feel much better later," the Alpha commented smelling nervous and worried.

Dean wasn't sure if the Alpha expected a reaction from him, but he just stayed where he was, without risking any movement. He could not deny that he was starving, and whatever the Alpha was cooking, it smelled so rich, but he could not eat, he feared he would fall asleep and call the System, then it would all be over. He would have run away, gone hungry and scared for nothing.

"You better cover yourself, you still have a bit of fever ..." the Alpha said and approached causing Dean to wrapped his arms tighter around his stomach, shaking even more, if that was possible.

"Can you do it?" the Alpha asked. "Cover yourself with blankets?"

It seemed like a question, but the Alphas did not ask, they ordered. Anyway, not wanting to risk anything, Dean extended a cautious hand and wrapped himself in the blanket, leaving only his head out.

"My name is Castiel," the Alpha offered with a slight smile. "I helped you at the service station when that Alpha tried ..." Castiel let the sentence die in the air, looking like he struggled with the words.

"I remember," Dean replied, because he really did. He would never forget the soft and sure scent of Castiel, but despite that he didn't feel that he could trust the man. He was an Alpha, and you can't trust Alphas, at least not if you’re an Omega.

"You came back for me."

Dean whispered the last part, terrified.

He had fled from an Alpha and had fallen into the hands of another. 

"You can't claim me, I have an Alpha." 

He uncovering his shoulder to show Alastair's bite. It was a scar that didn't look old, but recent, thanks to the fact that Alastair used to renew it every two years to reaffirm his ownership. He did not like the brand to fade over time.

"I know," Castiel replied, looking calm. "I'm not going to claim you, that's not why I brought you to my house."

Castiel had sat on the edge of the bed, and as he talked with Dean his fingers played with the sheet. He hoped Dean would have said something, but the Omega did not make any comments, he was too scared to speak. If this Alpha decided to use it, there was nothing he could do, he was alone in his house, his true Alpha was who knows how many kilometers away. No one could help you, if someone really wanted to help an Omega.

“I brought you here because you were in a very bad state, it was raining a lot, and you were hurt… ”

Castiel let the sentence die again. 

"I'm not going to hurt you," he added more seriously.

They were silently uncomfortable for what seemed like an eternity. Dean was waiting for the Alpha to do something, try to grab it, and forcefully claim it until he submitted it ... they were all ugly thoughts that were making Dean feel very bad.

Until Castiel made a gesture like he was about to get up and Dean stifled a protest, pressing more against the back of the bed and wrapping the blankets around him more.

“I'm going to finish the soup, do you want to go to the bathroom?” 

Dean watched him scared and confused. What were the chances that this Alpha won't try anything with it? Almost none. He was so terrified that he almost wanted him to do it at once, to end the waiting moment. It was like when he wanted Alastair to hit him at once to end the previous fear. He knew the blow and pain was coming, so why wait? The same happened with this Alpha.

Castiel waited and when it became clear that Dean was not going to speak or move, he nodded and moved toward the kitchen, where he continued working on the soup.

Dean followed him with his eyes and just noticed the place where they were. It was like a large room, with no walls separating the spaces. For a moment it seemed devoid of privacy, but it also seemed different and fun. It almost made him smile, if it wasn't for him being terrified.

In that big room there was everything, like in a normal and well equipped house. There was the Alpha’s room, which was just where Dean was, a little higher than the rest. There was the bed where he was curled up, a thick wooden wardrobe and a bedside table next to the bed. A large window covered two walls. Window was in the bedroom and in the kitche. It was really very colorful and modern. The furniture was not normal furniture, but seemed original, like those that Dean saw in the magazines that his first Alpha used to collect.

There was a living room with a gray sofa that looked very comfortable, in front of a large television. And a desk in the corner, with a glass table and many folders above, next to a laptop. What would this Alpha work on? Dean wondered distractedly. Alastair had a bar, where they sold fast food for lunch, but for dinner only alcohol. Dean bitterly remembered that bar, he didn't like it at all. Alastair sometimes forced him to help him with the tables, and the Alphas took advantage and touched him, caressed him, even worse things, but Alastier did not worry, he said that anything in order to serve his clients, and in the end he always they left a lot of tip.

Dean's stomach stirred just to remember that and to think about having to return. But he was trapped again, and this Alpha could also use it for his friends. It could even be worse. Alastair always let him rest in his cage later.

He didn't realize he was crying until he touched the wet sheet. He wiped away his tears, he was not going to give up. He could still run away, the door was only a few steps away. Maybe he could open it, the key was in the lock, he would just turn it and run away, and maybe the Alpha wouldn't reach him ... but he was still weak, he felt tired and sore. His ribs ached when he took a deep breath and his eye was still swollen.

He didn't realize that Castiel had approached until he was in front of him. The Alpha placed a tray on the bed, with bread on the side, and a plate with soup in the center. It was steaming and looked great.

Dean looked at the Alpha, then at the soup and repeated the process two more times, without lifting his face much from his crestfallen position.

"It's for you," Castiel said, smiling kindly. 

But Dean refused to fall for it. He would not do it. He knew what happened next, he was sure that the soup had something to make him sleep, and use it, or worse, call the System. The Alpha would report a lost Omega, they would punish him and mark him as they mark the Omegas fleeing their Alphas. He would not find his brother and Alastair would make his life a hell, more than usually.

Dean said nothing, covered himself even more with the blanket. He was so hungry that he knew the Alpha was listening to the sounds his stomach made. But he didn't move from his place, looking at his bent legs.

"I'll leave it to you for when you want to eat it," said Castiel, still smiling, but looking a little sad. Then he walked away to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and returned with a bottle of water. When the cap made a noise that meant it was closed from the factory, that reassured Dean, and then he left it on the tray.

"It's for you," Castiel added without sitting down this time.

Dean watched as he walked away to his desk in the corner and sat behind the laptop that he opened and turned on.

The Omega kept playing with his fingers under the blanket all the time, staring at the Alpha at his desk, and he knew that every now and then he looked up to analyze him.

Dean reached out and grabbed the bottle. He tried to open it and close it again. But in the end he ended up sipping the water. I was so thirsty. He didn't remember when it had been the last time he had drunk water, or eaten something, and it felt like years ago.

He wondered where he was, how far he was from Alastair. Maybe far enough, but he doubted that was true.  
He was so weak that he could not run away, even if this Alpha left the door open he would still be too weak to run and walk away. He wouldn't even reach the next block. He analyzed the possibilities. 

He was hungry and was afraid to eat because he was put to sleep and hurt, but if he didn't run away he could end up the same way. At least with some food in his stomach he would be more likely to run away or protect himself. 

How long would it take from the meal until the System will arrive? One hour, two? His mind was going to a thousand thoughts, trying to find a way out. But there was only one option.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! We have a new chapter! Sorry if the wait was long, I was a bit blocked, but now I have even written much more for the next!  
> Slowly we are having an approach between Cas and Dean, there is still a long way for Dean to feel safe in that house, although Cas tries.  
> I hope you like this and leave me your comments!


	5. Dean

Dean se descubrió lentamente, consciente de que el Alfa lo estaba controlando, extendió su mano hacia la cuchara y la arrastró por el plato hasta que se cargó con sopa. Luego se llevó la cuchara a la boca y sorbió de miedo. Pero era muy rico, aunque ya un poco frío, todavía podía sentir el sabor.

"Déjame calentarlo" el Alfa apareció de la nada, parado a su lado y agarrando el plato, y Dean entró en pánico. Era una trampa, él lo supo todo el tiempo.

Se alejó como un destello de Castiel y se empujó con fuerza contra la cabecera, lejos de donde estaba el Alfa, cubriéndose la cabeza con un brazo y las rodillas contra el pecho.

"Lo siento, Dean, no quise asustarte ..." Dean escuchó sin estar seguro de lo que estaba escuchando. Los alfas no se disculparon nunca.

"Hace frío, no te ayudará a mejorar ..."

Castiel siguió hablando pero fue confuso. Haciendo una mueca y oliendo molesto, se alejó del Omega con la bandeja en la mano hacia la cocina.

Dean continuó abrazando su cuerpo, sintiendo su aliento caliente. Cuando el Alfa volvió a acercarse, dio un pequeño salto en su lugar y contuvo el aliento.

Pero Castiel dejó la bandeja sobre la cama, con dos platos sobre ella. Regresó a la cocina y regresó con la olla donde tenía la sopa humeante.

"Lo calenté de nuevo. ¿Crees que si te acompaño podemos comer juntos?" Preguntó, pero no era una pregunta porque vertió el sabroso líquido en los platos y dejó la olla vacía a un lado, sobre la cama. Luego le sonrió a Dean, como si fuera un niño en su cumpleaños, y comenzó a comer la sopa.

Dean lo miró por un momento. Curioso, intrigado y un poco asustado. Alpha estaba comiendo la misma sopa que él, así que si tenía algo que los hiciera dormir, ambos se quedarían dormidos ... pero tal vez no tenía nada y solo quería demostrárselo a Dean. La idea parecía inusual. ¿Por qué este alfa molestaría tanto? ¿Por Dean? ¿Una segunda categoría Omega?   
No tenía respuestas, pero tenía miedo, y sabía que si no obedecía, podría ser peor. Entonces, usando toda su fuerza, movió su cuerpo y extendió un brazo hasta que sostuvo la cuchara nuevamente y comenzó a comer la sopa nuevamente.

Estaba humeante, caliente y muy rico. Tenía verduras y a Dean no le gustaban mucho, pero después de varios días sin comida, podría haberlas comido crudas.

It didn't take long to eat almost everything, and he felt a little more energy running through his body.

"Do you like it?" Castiel asked.

Dean took his eyes off his plate and looked at alpha’s . He was almost halfway through, but he ate slowly, not like Dean who ate a spoonful after the other without stopping.

"I used to cook for a restaurant, before being a lawyer" commented the Alpha, in an emotional voice.

Dean barely looked up to see him and then, when he realized that the Alpha was looking at him, quickly dropped his eyes again.

"Where are you from?" Castiel asked and Dean almost choked on the soup. He couldn't say, it wasn't a good idea. Alpha would call Alastair, he would come looking. He would find him before the damn soup was gone.

"Do you know where you are?" Castiel asked, and that was an easier question, he could answer that without getting into trouble.

He smelled the air, looking for some clue about the mood of the alpha in front of him. But it was difficult, this alpha always seemed to be calm, and safe. With the other alphas there were variants: angry, excited, very angry, funny, excited ... they didn't smell safe. Dean had never met alphas that had.

His first alpha did not have many variants, its aroma almost always revealed the same, that the man was calm or excited, and according to this he knew how to act. Do your homework or present.

But Castiel confused him, didn't give him many clues about how he should behave.  
Castiel was giving up, he really didn't expect to get any response from Omega when he spoke.

"In your house," Dean whispered, his head down and his voice still hoarse.  
For a few seconds it seemed that the Alpha stopped to contemplate him, happy with his answer.

"Yes, but ... in what city? Do you know?" He insisted again, and this time Dean hesitated. He really had no idea what city he was in. When he had fled he had simply ran, had not looked where, his only idea was to run away from his alpha.

"No" Dean said, setting aside the spoon and soup. It was over, and he already felt much better. It seemed that the soup was miraculous.

"Dean, you're in Columbus."

Dean raised his head stunned. He had no idea that he had distanced himself so much and that way. He didn't know where he was going or where he intended to go. I was far from Alastair, but maybe it wasn't enough. Maybe it never would be.

"Is that good or bad?" Castiel asked.

Dean lowered his head again shrinking with the blankets. One part of his mind told him that he had to keep moving, but another asked him to stay.  
Castiel waited for what seemed like an eternity and when it became clear that Dean would not speak again he sat up and picked up the plates, the tray and the cutlery.

Dean watched him go to the kitchen and watched as he washed the dishes and partly panicked. He should be doing that, that is the task of the Omegas, not the alphas, but he was not an Omega of this alpha, so he was not sure how he should behave.

He had to leave this place.

He watched the house looking for a way out and without realizing his gaze stopped at the door of the bathroom. He remember that he had already been there, he had a vague memory about it.

"Do you want to go to the bathroom?" The alpha asked. Dean had not seen him approach and he was next to the bed, watching him.

Dean looked from the bed to the bathroom door. It wasn't far, about ten steps but he wasn't sure he could do it, even with the soup he still felt weak.

"I can help you if you want" offered the Alpha and Dean's heart seemed to pump faster and surely Alpha could smell the fear in his scent, because he sat at the edge of the bed, with enough distance not to scare the Omega.

"Dean, I helped you bathe and heal your wounds. That was several hours ago, if I wanted to hurt you, don't you think I would have done it?" He asked, widening his blue eyes and moving his hands in tune.

"Did you call the System?" Dean asked instead, in a trembling voice.

"No" Castiel answered simply.  
"Are you going to call them?" Dean asked again without giving credit to what he heard. It could be a trap, he could be lying. The alphas lied a lot.

"Do you want me to do it?" The alpha asked

"No" Dean whispered hurriedly.

But then he panicked and looked up to see the blue eyes of the alpha, and he was stuck repeating "please don't do it, I'll do whatever you want, anything ..." every word came out in a hurry and he wasn't sure anyone could understand its meaning, but he was desperate to convince this alpha not to call the System.

He crawled across the bed and placed his hands on the knees of his alpha, without pressing but just touching him, watching his trembling hands while begging on his knees so he wouldn't call the System.

"Please, just ..."

"Dean ..." Castiel used his alpha voice to stop him, but that didn't scare him as much as when the man held his hands to keep him away from himself. He touched the scars on the palms of his hands and the well-known burned skin pain spread over his hand and Dean let out a sigh, moving away quite quickly but not so far.

"Are you hurt there?" Asked the Alpha smelling nervous and worried.

"No" Dean retorted shaking his head. He wasn't hurt, the scars were just a reminder that he was a bad Omega.

"Can I see?" Castiel asked.

Dean pressed himself closer, he didn't want to show him but he was an Alpha and the alphas rule and the omegas obey. That’s just how it is.  
Still trembling, he let go of the grip on his legs and extended his hands palm up so Castiel had a good view.

Castiel held his hands carefully, just from below, without really pressing, just letting Dean's hands rest on his as he watched the small marks scattered on his palms.

"Are they burns?" Castiel questioned, looking up at the scared Omega in front of him.

"Cigarettes" Dean revealed feeling bad about confessing, as if it were a sin.

"Your alpha did this to you?" the alpha questioned again.

Dean wondered if one day he would stop questioning him, it was not a common thing for alphas to do.

"I'm a bad Omega," Dean revealed, lowering his eyes even more, now he didn't look at the scars, he was embarrassed, they were nothing more than a confirmation that he was a bad Omega. Alastair always reminded him.

"Your Alpha is a bad Alpha, but I'm pretty sure you're not a bad Omega," Castiel said, using his alpha voice. He was strong and determined, and somehow made Dean tremble, but he trembled in a good way.

"You don't know me" he said instead.

He did not want to challenge this alpha, he did not want to make him call the System or get hit, but the weight of that truth was stronger than everything. The man judged him as if he knew him when they had actually been together for less than 24 hours. Alastair had had twelve years to make him a good Omega and still had problems with that.  
"I don't need to meet you to know that this is wrong," he emphasized the "this" by gently pressing Dean's hands. The Omega couldn't see the alpha's face because he kept looking at the rolled sheets near his legs, but he could swear that Castiel's eyes were even more intense blue now.

"Did you run away from your alpha because he hurt you?" Castiel asked leaving Dean's hands gently on the bed.

The Omega rushed to cover his body with his arms.

"No," Dean replied, too quickly.

"Why did you do it then?" Castiel kept asking questions. His tenacity was strong and Dean was too tired to look for excuses.

"I need to find someone" he revealed, in a low, confidential tone.

"Who?"

Dean heard the question but ignored it. He could not reply, he could not mention his brother. He prayed that the Alpha will let him go and not insist. He looked away to the bathroom again. He really wanted to go. He needed to take care of his basic needs, wash his face and he wanted to see his ribs. They didn't hurt much unless he moved very fast - then they hurt like hell. they looked like hell.

"I'll help you get to the bathroom, then you can do it alone, what do you think?" Castiel offered and Dean didn't know what to do. He couldn't challenge the alpha, he owned the place, he had given him food, he couldn't deny him anything. He was an alpha.

He nodded slightly and in seconds the Alpha was at his side, carefully wrapping his arm around his back, taking care not to touch his ribs.  
Dean tried not to lean on the Alpha, and ignore his ribs that throbbed with pain at the movement, but it was almost impossible, and he found himself repressing a sob when he stood up.

He wanted to rest on the alpha and close his eyes, his scent was of worry and surely he was warm, but he knew he couldn't do that, so he concentrated on continuing to walk, one step after another. They were slow but that did not seem to bother Castiel who at no time hurried and matched his slow pace

"We're almost there" Castiel coaxed him to continue and part of Dean got excited about the incentive.

When they finally reached the bathroom door Dean was breathing hard, it seemed that he had run a marathon, not that he had walked ten steps slowly. The idea of running away seemed absurd now, he could barely walk well with help.

"Can you do it, or do you want me to help you?" Castiel insisted.

Dean wasn't sure what to answer, he didn't know what the Alpha wanted. Letting him in alone or entering with him was the decision of alpha, not his, but he had asked him what Dean wanted.

"Can I enter alone? Please?" Dean asked looking at the wood on the floor under his feet, holding his breath for a few seconds, not knowing what the alpha’s reaction would be.

"Sure" Castiel said softly and loosened his grip to help him into the bathroom. Then he closed the door before leaving and gave him a smile that seemed reassuring but also nervous.

Dean leaned against the door, holding onto the black marble basin. His whole body was shaking but he wasn't cold, or scared, it was from the nerves. He was worried about never knowing how this alpha would react. He knew he was asking for more, he was doing things he shouldn't do.

Trying to avoid the stream of thoughts Dean did his thing in the bathroom, but before leaving he stopped in front of the mirror and looked at himself. It was a few seconds but they were enough to realize how bad it looked.

The cheekbone under his left eye was still very swollen and an ugly pink, he hardly saw with that eye. His hair was sloppy and strands fell everywhere, without any sense.  
With trembling fingers he lifted the shirt he was wearing, which was not his, it would be the alpha’s, something that made him even more nervous. He was wearing clothes of an alpha, that was wrong everywhere.

He looked at his purple ribs in the mirror, and they didn't really look so bad - a little ugly in color, but at least they didn't hurt so much compared to other times.  
He dropped the shirt down and turned to open the door. Outside the Alpha was waiting for him, leaning against the bathroom wall, and he smiled when Dean appeared.

"All good?" He asked as he approached to help him.

Dean nodded They were going back to bed but he didn't like that idea. He felt uncomfortable being in the bed of an alpha, that was not right at all.

Unconsciously his gaze wandered to the couch in front of the big TV. It was not ideal for an Omega but it was better than being in an alpha’s bed.

"Do you want to go to the couch?" Castiel questioned following the path of his gaze.  
"May l?" Dean asked, scared.

"Yes, of course" Castiel guided him along the path, helping him with the step that separated the room from the rest of the house and helped him settle on the couch.  
It was surely the most comfortable sofa he had ever sat on, and there were some pillows that seemed very soft, but he didn't dare touch them.

"Do you want to eat something?" Castiel offered sitting at the other end. At this point he had already realized that maintaining a safe distance from the Omega was the best idea, not to scare him.

Dean barely shook his head and after a few seconds the Alpha got up and went to the room and brought some blankets that he put near Dean.

"You better cover yourself with blankets"

Dean obeyed without questioning, wrapping the blanket that still retained its heat around his body, and bent his legs until he had them against his body, so he could rest his head on them.

"Do you feel better? I have creams that are very good, if you let me ..."

The alpha stopped when he saw that he was not getting a reaction from the Omega. Castiel was anxious to help him but he had no idea how to do it. He didn't know how to break the thread that the Omega had created around him.

"What hurts the most?" Alpha asked without taking his eyes off of him.

Dean continued to look around, lost in his thoughts, trying to understand why this alpha treated him so well, in an almost unreal way. He hardly knew him, he didn't know if he was a good Omega, if he deserved to be treated so well. Certainly not, he had fled, the fleeing omegas deserved nothing. He knew that was his destiny if they found him.

"I want to help you get better, but I can't do it if I don't know what hurts," Castiel continued from his place, he seemed very calm and patient, but in his voice Dean heard some restlessness.

Dean could see that he looked serious, and smelled of concern. Would he be worried about him? Or about the fact that he had a runaway Omega sitting on your couch?

"The feet" Dean revealed almost inaudibly, but the Alpha heard him because he was attentive to all his movements and expressions. "They hurt."

"We can do something with that" Castiel stood up, smiling, suddenly relieved that the Omega had finally communicated with him.

He return with a couple of creams and gels. Dean watched them discreetly.

"You can use this, it is a very relaxing and refreshing Aloe gel ..." he handed the gel tube but Dean made no move to grab it, instead he stared at the Alpha, startled by how enthusiastic he was, trying to help him stared at the energy that the Alpha put into it. As if he really cared.

Castiel left it casually on the couch when he realized that Dean was not going to grab it with his hands. Beside that tube he placed another blue one, with a rare name in white letters.

"This is very good for bruises" Castiel smiled reassuringly as he spoke, "You can put it on your ribs and eye."

Castiel stayed for a few seconds where he was but it was quite clear that the Omega was not going to move from his position, so he remembered that Dean only ate when Castiel left him alone. Hoping that he would do the same in this situation, the Alpha got up, noticing the fear that this generated from the Omega who still flinched when the Alpha made the slightest movement. Castiel moved away to the kitchen, giving him some space.

Dean looked at the cream and gel that were a few inches away.

He carefully lifted a hand from under the blankets and extended it to the gel tube, but before holding it he looked up to watch as the Alpha continued to move in the kitchen, focused on something. He doubted whether he should grab it or not, but he had supposedly left it there for Dean, although it could always be a trap. Alastair did much of that. He asked him if he was hungry and when Dean said yes, he left him without eating for hours. Over time he had learned to always say no.

But it didn't seem to be the same way with this alpha. He knew that things were always different with every alpha.

His first alpha, Donatello, didn't care what Dean was doing, but he had his hours to eat. Twice a day, and there were never questions about what he wanted. Dean knew what he had to do and when. He knew when to prepare dinner and when he had to clean and when he had to present. Things had been quite simple with Donatello, he could say he was lucky to have him as his first alpha.

At school he had been taught that there were different alphas, and the Omega had to be useful and please his alpha in the way that he would like. There were alphas that really did not care for their omegas and Donatello was not one of them. Since he had arrived at the house he had told him where he should sleep, where he should eat and when he should do it.

Alastair had shown him his cage and taught him rules and regulations, and the penalties for noncompliance. At first it had been difficult, over the years it had become easier, but even so he was still a bad Omega, he had many things to learn.  
But with this alpha he was totally lost. He didn't see a cage anywhere, or some place where an Omega could sleep.

He held the gel and opened it, extracted as little as possible and applied it to his feet. They were swollen and very sore, but Castiel was right, the green gel had a strange sedative and relaxing power. In seconds he began to feel that he could move his feet without much pain, which was a relief.

He left the one he had and grabbed the blue tube with white letters and after opening it, he placed a little on his fingers, also the smallest amount, and applied it to his ribs, under the shirt, without actually lifting it. It was not refreshing or relaxing, but when he touched the injured skin he felt waves of pain scattering across his body and clenched his teeth so he wouldn't protest loudly. When he had enough, he used the excess cream left on his fingers and applied it to his left cheekbone, it was not much but it was certainly more than he could use.

He made sure to close the containers tightly and covered himself with the blanket again, and placed the right side of his face on his legs, wrapping his arms around his bent legs.

From where he was he could see the alpha move from side to side in the kitchen. It looked like he was preparing something to eat, and he looked very focused on that. It didn't seem like he was going to call the System, otherwise he should have done it already. Dean wondered why he hadn't done it yet.

Maybe he wasn't going to do it at all, but that didn't make any sense, risking being caught with an escaped Omega, when he could surely have any Omega he wanted. The man did not seem precisely poor.

It was strange, but he trusted him. He knew he shouldn’t do it, one part of his mind was screaming that he shouldn't give in, but another part simply relaxed in the presence of this alpha and it felt good to do so.

"Kansas City" Dean heard himself saying before he could stop.

The Alpha swung around and stood where he was, watching him, then he smiled and left a cup on the table and walked to where Dean was, and sat on a small table between the sofa and the big screen.

"That's far enough ..." he said measuring his words "is where you come from?"  
Dean nodded, but hurriedly added a "yes" because he remembered that alphas liked the omegas to answer their questions verbally and not with nodding.

"I lived there with my alpha, but he took me with him on a business trip, not far away, two hours by car, a small city, and he left me at the hotel for one afternoon ..."

"Did you run away?" alpha asked but didn't seem accusative or angry. Even his scent was more curious. Attentive.

"Yes" Dean replied crestfallen. "When they came to clean, they opened the door and I took the opportunity to get out, I ran as far as I could," he said, scared.

"Did you travel on foot?" Alfa asked looking surprised and restless.

"Not all the time."

Dean revealed and continued after a few seconds "first I walked for hours, then I got into the luggage compartment of a bus and when I knew they were about to stop I jumped. I kept walking for days, I think" he wasn't really sure of the time, it seemed more like months "and then I got in the trunk of a truck, but I fell asleep and the alpha owner discovered me and threw me out. I stayed on the road and walked back to the service station where you found me ..." Dean concluded his story.

"Es un trabajo muy difícil escapar de un alfa, si te encuentran ..."   
El alfa se detuvo cuando Dean giró la cabeza y la apoyó sobre las rodillas dobladas. Castiel quería saber, necesitaba saber más para ayudarlo, pero no quería presionar. Y aparentemente la conversación había terminado.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! A long enough chapter for you to enjoy quite a bit. Cas and Dean are getting closer, and Dean begins to share some things, although he is still very scared. What do you think? They like me? They do not like it? I await your opinions! I come back soon ;)


	6. Castiel

When the day gave way to night, the sky was tinged with a pink and violet that had Dean watching most of the time through the window. It looked as if he had never seen a sunset, or as if he had not for a long time, and he did not take his eyes off the window until everything went black.

Castiel left his desk, where he had been working continuously for the last two hours, and approached the omega, and sat at the end of the sofa.

"How do you feel?" he questioned. Dean looked better than when he had arrived, but that didn't mean he looked good. Not at all, he was still too pale, his eye puffy, and he was breathing hard.

"Fine" Dean replied, without looking up.

Castiel nodded silently. He had never had an omega, but he had already lived with them when he still lived with his father and his brothers, and worked at the family buffet. He knew that omegas said everything was fine, when in fact it was not; it was something they had learned they had to say because it was expected of them, to please their alpha, no matter what they were really feeling .

"How is your foot?" he asked, thinking that if he went for more specific questions, he would get a more authentic answer, and it might have worked, if Castiel hadn't reached out with the intention of getting closer, which caused Dean to draw back his legs that he had stretched out on the sofa, and he folded them close to his body.

"Sorry Dean, I didn't mean to scare you ..." Castiel apologized, really sorry about what had happened. The omega was still scared and he kept scaring him even more.

Castiel could smell the scent of fear that came from the Omega, and he was displeased not being able to figure out what to do to make him feel more comfortable and safe.

"Do you want to watch TV?", Offering him the remote, but of course, Dean didn’t even move"There are some very interesting programs playing at this time" he tried again, and when he did not get a reaction, he pressed the ON button and looked for a channel with something that might interest Dean. He stopped at what looked like a romantic movie and left the remote atop the covers.

"You can change it if you want, or increase the volume." Castiel gave him a smile, but the Omega did not pay attention to him at all, or at least it seemed so. "I'm going to finish dinner, and then we can rest."

He left the place and headed for the kitchen, where he had started making dinner a few hours ago. He was close to finishing it, so he spent a few minutes looking at his cell phone, taking the opportunity to answer a message from Bobby.

He had been in contact with the beta from the service station where he had found Dean, because he knew the man had been worried, but also because he needed to talk about the Omega on his couch with someone.

He could have talked to Charlie about it, his friend and co-worker, but he knew she would go crazy when he told her that he had rescued an Omega from the street, and in two minutes he would have her in his living room trying to ask Dean questions, something that would not help the situation at all.

Bobby, by contrast, had proven to be a very helpful beta. He told Castiel to be patient with the boy, Dean was very scared but at some point, he would speak. And Castiel knew that it would happen, perhaps after a long time, but it would . Bobby also assured him that no one from his workplace would open his mouth about Dean. Castiel knew that an escaped Omega would not be off the radar for long, and he feared how long it would take before they found him.

He resumed the preparation of dinner and every now and then he would glance at Dean, aware that Dean was watching him when he thought Castiel was distracted. But the alpha kept an eye on him, waiting for any reaction from the Omega. But he didn't get any, he just realized that Dean only really paid attention to him, since he only looked up to see him, and at no time did he watch the movie.

He finished preparing dinner and approached Dean with a tray.

"It is a vegetable and chicken lasagna" he revealed, unable to hide the emotions that filled him whenever he talked about his dishes. He had been very happy while working in the kitchen of the old restaurant, collecting some money to be independent from his father while studying.

The Omega looked up and his gaze landed on the plate, and Castiel could see those green eyes that had fascinated him so much since he had first seen him.

"You can eat it." offered the alpha "I'm going to get mine"

He went to the kitchen and returned with another tray and two glasses of orange juice.

"Drink all the juice, it is orange, it will help you regain energy"

Dinner was quick, after the first five minutes when Dean seemed to doubt if he should eat or not, he just looked at the plate and, out of the corner of his eye, at the alpha sitting at the small table but then he devoured his meal, finally seeming to give up. And the lasagna didn't last long on the plate once the Omega was dedicated to it.

Castiel realized that he ate fast, but not because of hunger, but because he was afraid that it would be taken from him. With each bite he took, he looked at Castiel before bringing the fork to his mouth, like a silent question of whether the alpha agreed with him eating.

When they were done with the meal, Castiel helped Dean back to the bathroom, holding his body that weighed even less than it seemed, and he trembled more than Castiel could believe anyone could tremble. But the alpha knew it was out of fear of him, and that idea didn't help him. It seemed that nothing he said or did was getting through. Dean was still terrified, waiting for a hit, or worse.

Castiel tried to convince him to lie down on the bed for the night, but there was no way, the Omega refused after the first question, was terrified when Castiel insisted, and huddled in the corner of the sofa when the alpha tried to bring up the subject again. He didn't want to force him, and he didn't know how to make him understand that it was better without it looking like an order. So he let it go, the sofa wasn't the worst anyway.

But he made sure to bring pillows and more blankets, and left them nearby, assuring Dean that he should use them, and this time it didn't matter that it sounded like an order. He wouldn't allow Dean to get cold.

He lowered the light intensity and settled in his bed, but he couldn't sleep.

There was an escaped omega on his sofa. And that was not what terrified him, he was very happy to be able to help Dean, but the fact that they would soon discover them, would discover the Omega and the alpha that had hidden him, and there was no way to explain that without sounding bad in front of the authorities.

Only one thing was sure, he could not let Dean return to his alpha, although he had no idea how to prevent this from happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know we are not going through good times now, as a society and as parts of the world that is in serious and delicate problems, but I really hope that from wherever you are reading to me, this chapter will bring you a little distraction and entertainment. It's short, I know, but I'm working on more and I can assure you that things are going to get intense around here. But I am a little scattered to write, there are many things happening. But we will overcome it. Reading and writing are a fundamental part, which always help us.
> 
> Once again, thank you very much for reading, this is very important to me. Sorry for any mistake, this is new, both writing here, how to write on this topic, but I am enjoying it very much, and I hope you will too. Your comments are always very welcome, take care and stay home if you can. Cheers!


	7. Castiel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! how are they? Are they staying at home or are they the ones who have to go out despite everything? I hope they are well, and that the people who love them too.  
> I bring you more a chapter. We are slowly getting closer to the Great Moment! I am eager to see how this story is taking shape, before it was just a vague idea in my mind and now it has 7 chapters. Is incredible!  
> Hope you like! And if you want to tell me what you think, do it! More than welcome: D  
> Thanks for reading and take good care of yourself!

Castiel woke up suddenly, disoriented. As soon as he opened his eyes he felt that something was wrong, and he remembered Dean, who had to be on the sofa.

He looked towards it, he could barely notice the blankets that covered Dean and his small body underneath them. He was so curled in on himself that he could have very well gone unnoticed.

Castiel got up and walked over to Dean. It was then that he realized that his feeling that something was wrong was actually correct.

The Omega was trembling, and this time not out of fear, but because he was cold. Even covered with all the blankets, his body was still shaking, tremors running through it.

The Alpha crossed the distance that separated him from the Omega in two steps, and knelt beside him, placing a hand on his forehead to feel the temperature.

Even in normal conditions, he knew Dean could drift away, but now he didn’t react at all.

"You are burning up " Castiel whispered, visibly concerned.

"Dean?" The alpha tried to call him, but even though the Omega had his eyes open and seemed to be looking at him, he didn't really seem to see him. "Dean, we’re going to have to go to the bathroom, I’m going to pick you up, alright?"

He wanted to warn him so he wouldn't be scared. The last thing they needed was for Dean to be scared and refuse to let Castiel help him.

He stepped closer and sat him on the sofa. Trying to avoid placing his hands on his ribs he lifted him until the Omega was standing and began to guide him to the bathroom.

Not without difficulty, he reached the bathtub and sat Dean on the edge.

"Do you think you can stay up? It's only a few seconds, I need to turn on the tap, you're feverish, you need ..."

Castiel explained things to him as if the Omega was listening to him, which apparently was not happening.

"He also had a fever, I bathed him" whispered Dean, lost in his own world at the moment.

"Who?" Castiel asked, trying to play along as he used that moment to turn on the water and begin to fill the tub.

"Sammy, he has a fever and I have to bathe him" Dean explained.

Castiel, who was distracted, stopped.

If the Omega used such a loving nickname, it could only be someone important. Perhaps the person he kept saying that he had to find.

"Is this who you're looking for?" Castiel asked, kneeling in front of Dean, and holding his knees. The Omega was staring off into the distance.

"No, I have to take care of him, he has a fever" he repeated.

"Let's take care of him" agreed Castiel, not knowing what to say. "Do you want me to call someone?" he questioned.

He felt bad for taking advantage of the situation that way, he knew Dean was only talking because of the fever, he was delusional.

"No, only I can take care of him. He is my brother"

Castiel nodded silently.

For a moment everything was clear. Or something at least. Sammy was Dean's brother, and apparently who the Omega was so desperate to find.

Castiel left his place and helped Dean into the bathtub. The Omega even complained, kept saying he had to lower Sammy's fever, and give him cereal with milk later.

Within seconds of being underwater, the Omega seemed to react, and closed his eyes to open them again, seeming to be aware, again, of where he was.

He was instantly upset, scared.

"Shh, you had a fever, but it will come down now after the bath," explained Castiel.

Dean didn't say anything, just stayed where he was and let the Alpha handle it. He looked really exhausted. Not even strong enough to oppose.

Castiel ended the bath a few seconds later and wrapped him in a warm towel. With slow steps he guided him to the bed where he laid him down and covered him with more blankets.

This time Dean did not protest being in bed. He let himself be carried and fell onto the bed, covering it almost completely. He still smelled scared, but at least not with as much as when he wasn't feeling so bad.

Castiel walked away to give him space, but while he was entertaining himself doing other tasks he was aware that the Omega did not sleep at any time. He just followed him with him eyes, without uttering a word.

When the sun made its way into the room, Castiel finished preparing breakfast and went to the bed. He gave Dean a friendly smile, trying to sound approachable. 

"How do you feel today?" hee asked, keeping some distance.

The Omega hesitated, remained silent for a few seconds, but by now Castiel was used to that.

"Better. Thank you," the Omega whispered, without looking up.

"That's perfect!" Castiel was enthusiastic, and Dean wrapped his arms around his body.

"I prepared a very rich and nutritious breakfast. Do you want to come to the table?" The question took the Omega by surprise. He opened his eyes and turned his gaze to the counter.

There, everything was already prepared. One could see a jug with what looked like juice, and some other things that Dean couldn't clearly see from where he was. But that explained why the Alpha had been in so much motion.

He wasn't sure if he should go. He generally didn't eat at the table, next to an alpha. At Alastair's,he ate after the alpha finished. And if he was allowed to eat.

"Do you want me to go?" he questioned. If it was an order or something the Alpha wanted, he had no choice but to obey.

Castiel seemed to notice Dean's inner dilemma, so he offered a calm smile.  
"If you feel good about doing it I think it would be a good idea" he didn't mean to force him, but he knew that moving would do him good.

Dean nodded, and after a few more seconds of hesitation he threw back the covers and sat on the bed.

He was still dizzy and when he moved things seemed to spin around him. But as soon as he waited a few seconds, that ugly feeling disappeared.

It was what he did. He waited a few seconds, but he was nervous about keeping the Alpha waiting. But this Alpha did not smell upset or angry. Castiel still smelled as tranquil as before.

He got out of bed and walked slowly behind Castiel to the kitchen, or at least to where the table was, since that apartment was all in one piece.

He settled himself on a yellow wooden bench, facing a large plate of pancakes and a cup of black coffee filled to the brim.

"Do you like coffee?" Castiel questioned and for a moment smelled annoyed.

Dean was quick to say yes. He didn't want to anger the Alpha. He didn't want him to be mad, and would do anything to avoid it, even drink the black coffee he hated so much.

"I made pancakes, and orange cake. This juice is orange, it has vitamin C that will help you with the flu ..." Castiel was pointing things out while he explaining what they were.

When he was done he sat down in his seat and watched Dean, waiting for him to eat, but the Omega was hoping he would permit it.

"You can eat" Castiel said, realizing what was happening.

Dean started by tasting the juice. With small sips, he did not want to overdo it. But the truth was that he was afraid of what the Alpha would want in exchange for all that.

Alastair would only let him eat if he had made a good meal. Or let him sleep if he had been a good Omega. Things did not come free. Everything had a price.

With that idea in mind a knot formed in his stomach and he could not continue eating. The price could be very expensive.

"What happened Dean?" Castiel asked when he realized that the Omega had stopped. "Isn't the food good? Don't you like it?"

Dean swallowed hard. He took his trembling hands off the table and wrapped them around his body.

"I'm ready to earn my food, Alpha," he whispered. He knew that sooner or later he had to pay, so it would be better if it was now.

Castiel stopped, rooted to the spot. He stared at the Omega with his head bowed and his back bent. He was in a posture of obedience.

He had always despised that. He was aware that schools often instilled in omegas how they should behave towards Alphas, be it their Alpha or others. How to obey, and how to thank. And he thought he knew what was happening.

He could smell Dean's nerves and fear in the air. The Omega hoped he could pay Castiel for breakfast. They were taught that nothing was given just for the sake of giving, but that they had to be good Omegas to get something.

And Dean was ready to give that back.

"Dean ..." Castiel started to move closer, but seeing Dean tense in place, he stayed where he was. "You don't have to offer anything. I did this for you because I wanted to. I don't expect anything in return."

He tried to be as clear as possible, he didn't want there to be any doubt about it.

"An Omega is not given anything. You must be a good Omega to deserve something," Dean defended, not in a disrespectful way, just repeating what he had been taught.

Castiel smiled bitterly.

"Well, things don't work like that with me. You are a guest in my house and I treat my guests well," he commented, sitting down on the bench.

"I am not a guest, I am an Omega" Dean whispered, crestfallen, afraid.

Castiel opened his mouth to speak, but words failed him. He did not know what to say to him, how to change that way of thinking that had been instilled in him since who knows when.

"I want to help you find ... your brother. It is your brother that you are looking for, right?" Castel asked.

For a few seconds he could see how Dean raised his face to look at him, and was dazzled with those green eyes that the Omega had. He wished he could look at them more often, but that was almost impossible. Since Dean kept his eyes on the floor most of the time.

"My brother" Dean repeated, in a soft and sweet voice.

"How long has he been lost?" Castiel was slow, knowing that at any time Dean could clam up again.

"When they found us," hee explained, "They took me because I was an Omega. And I never saw him again." His voice cracked, and Castiel wanted to run to hug him, to hold him in his arms, but he held himself back, using all his strength. He knew that would not be appropriate at all, other than that it would only scare Dean.

Dean did not tell him much more, only that his brother was the best and two years younger, then he withdrew and did not open his mouth again. When Castiel suggested that he could lie in bed the Omega nodded and hurried back.

He covered himself almost completely again, and Castel could smell his fear from anywhere in the apartment. Dean kept following him with his eyes, attentive to all his movements, as if he feared that at any moment he would call the System.

Castiel hadn’t called the System, but when Bobby called him later that day, he knew that things were not going well.

The Beta told him that the System officials had come by his service station, asking questions. He assured that he had not said anything, but someone had already opened their mouth and he had been forced to show the recordings from security cameras. In these, it was clearly visible how an Alpha had taken the Omega they were looking for.

From the video, they identified the license plate from Castiel's car, and it was most likely that in two hours they would be knocking on his door.

Castiel's heart was pounding like a drum when he approached Dean to give him the bad news.


	8. Dean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This is a fairly long chapter, and a little different, it has more emotion and action. Things get complicated for Dean and Cas's side.  
> I hope you like it, and if you want to leave your comments about what you think will happen :) I love reading them.

Dean had been watching the Alpha and had noticed a few things. Not only his scent channeled safety and tranquility, but also his movements, the way he walked around the house, the looks he gave Dean from time to time, his attention to preparing rich and nutritious meals to make him feel good and better.

In reality Dean had not yet overcome his fear that at any moment he would ask him for something in exchange for everything he had been giving him. And the list was long, so that possibility terrified him. He couldn't say no to an Alpha.

Castiel had said he was going to help him find his brother and somehow, Dean believed him. Because of how he said it, because he was the most honest person in the world, or because of how he smelled when he said it. Dean trusted him, even when everything he knew about the world and the Alphas told him he shouldn't.

But now he looked up from the sheet and his eyes accidentally locked with the Alpha's. But before he looked down properly, he saw something that paralyzed him. He held his breath, and for a few seconds lost himself in Castiel's blue eyes. And in his scent. He was alarmed, uneasy.

Something was wrong.

Dean wrapped the sheets tighter around himself, wanting to protect himself from the world, and Castiel, who had remained standing in the middle of the room watching him, seemed to remember where he was. He snapped back to reality and crossed the distance that separated him from Dean. In quick steps, he reached the Omega.

"Dean, I have to tell you something, but it's not good. It's not a good thing," the Alpha whispered, in a confidential tone, almost as if he was apologizing.

Dean did not speak. However much he wanted to, he had lost the ability to formulate words.

He felt like his worst nightmare was about to come true.

"You can't be nervous. I'm going to help you, I will. I swear," Castiel emphasized, clenching his jaw, and fixing his blue eyes on Dean, who had even forgotten to keep his gaze down.

"Someone has called the System. And they’re coming to ..."

Dean didn't need to wait for him to finish talking. He already knew what he was going to say. His body felt it. Vibrating with nerves and fear, he stood up, without evaluating the consequences of his still fragile state.

A dizziness overtook him and before he could react, he blacked out and fell to the ground.

A dull noise surprised him, but then he realized that it was his own body hitting the ground.

Within seconds, the Alpha was by his side. He approached too fast, wanting to reassure the Omega by holding his body, but the surprising and invasive touch scared Dean, who screamed in panic.

His chest was rising and falling, quicker and quicker, as he tried to move his body away from the Alpha’s hands. 

He crawled across the floor until his back painfully collided with the wardrobe and he covered his face with his hands, feeling his tears soak the fabric of the shirt.

"Please don't hand me over, please don't" the Omega pleaded desperately, curling up to beg him.

"I did not, I did not call the System ..." the Alpha spoke, but his words were nothing more than a meaningless whisper to the stunned Omega.

"I won’t be able to find my brother ... they ... they will lock me up and then ..." Dean stopped, realizing what that meant. "Afterwards, they will return me to Alastair."

The Omega cried as his mind was racing, thinking how close he had come to finding his brother. Now he would never know how old he was, where he lived, what he liked to eat ...

"I just want to find my brother," the words came out quietly, but the alpha heard them.

“Dean, listen to me. I need you to listen to me. ”

It was the Alpha voice, so Dean stopped and, still agitated, froze against the wall.

It was only then that he noticed that the Alpha was on the floor beside him, a few steps away, with his hands on his bent knees, and that he smelled nervous and distressed.

"I need you to understand that I did not call the System" Castiel repeated and this time Dean listened to him. He looked up slowly until he was looking into the beautiful eyes of the Alpha in front of him.

"So who did?" Dean asked hoarsely.

“Someone from the service station where I found you. The System went looking for you and someone said you had been there. They looked through the security footage and identified me. So they’re coming here. We have very little time to put a plan together. ”Castiel explained, speaking quickly but clearly.

"To escape?" Dean inquired, a little bit of hope in his voice.

Perhaps all was not lost, but that was not exactly what he read in the Alpha's gaze.

"No." Castiel replied, smelling sad. "Rescue."

Dean stared at him for a few seconds. He looked serious, his brow furrowed, and he pursed his mouth in an unreadable grimace. "I don't understand" he finally said, crestfallen.

“Dean, you can't run away. Not anymore. If you leave now, you won't get far. And it will be worse.” Castiel explained, he sounded soft and composed, but he smelled so afflicted.

"I can't let them catch me, they ... they ..." His eyes glazed over at the thought of the punishment they would give him for running away.

But Castiel interrupted his train of thought, holding his hands in his.

Dean was shocked at the contact, but for a few seconds he made no move to withdraw his hands from the Alpha's hands. It felt so good.

Castiel released him suddenly and ran his hands over his head. He looked desperate.

"They’re going to take you ..." he began and Dean shook his head as more tears ran down his cheeks. "I know it will be very difficult but I promise ..."

"You don't know, you don't know!" Dean shouted as he stood up and staggered away.Until he got tangled up in the living room’s rug and fell onto the sofa. "You are not an Omega. You don't know anything about being an Omega and the System.” He whimpered, covering his face with his hands.

He was lost, there was no way out and no means of escape. It had all been in vain.

"I don't know, you're right, but I'm sure of something. I'm going to get you out of that place, and away from your Alpha. Alastair, you said his name was, right? ” Castiel asked emphatically.

Dean nodded, looking up at the Alpha. He had already looked him in the eye today more times than he had looked at Alastair in the twelve years he had lived with him. He knew he was breaking the rules, but they would punish him anyway.

"Yes, Alastair," he confirmed. "He will be very angry with me"

He rubbed his palm with his thumb, unconsciously. Skimming over all the scars from that place. It was a bitter pain which helped him focus on reality. 

"I'm going to get you back. Is that what you want? Do you want to come live with me? ” Castiel asked, suddenly very energetic, as if getting an answer from the Omega was very important.

"I want to find my brother. I have to, ”Dean whispered.

“We will, I promise we will. Once you’ll be here, away from the System, and away from Alastair, I will help you find your brother. We will do it together. I promise. ”

"Why would you do that?" The words came out of Dean's mouth without thinking, but he couldn't understand why an alpha would help an Omega.

Castiel smiled kindly, but did not reply. Instead he walked over to the Omega and wiped away the tears from his cheeks.

"You have to endure, whatever happens, in the end we will be together."

"How are you going to do that? I'm Alastair’s. ” Dean uncovered the mating mark on his shoulder for Castiel to see. A clear sign that he already had an Alpha, and one that wouldn't let go of him easy.

"There has to be a legal way," Castiel explained, but to no one in particular.

He looked down, still with his hand on Dean's shoulder, and while his mind was spinning , his eyes looked at the floor.

"I can ..." He looked up excitedly, but that emotion dissipated immediately, understanding what that meant.

He debated whether or not he should tell Dean. But if they were going to do it the Omega had to be aware of everything.

"I can buy you," he whispered and it looked like he was apologizing to Omega for that.

"I can pay Alastair enough that he’ll want to sell you." He continued explaining, his voice weak, his eyes fixed on the Omega's, gauging his reaction. "I ... I'm sorry, Dean. I know that is ugly. The idea of buying you, but it's the only way I can think of right now. ”

"Can you do that?" Dean asked in return.

"It is legal," Castiel admitted, still in a weak and apologetic tone. "Do you think Alastair would accept that?"

Dean shrugged in ignorance. “Alastair always says I’m worth nothing. And that he deserves a better Omega… maybe he will accept it,” he whispered, crestfallen.

"He will accept it. And then, you can come back here. ”Castiel looked very excited about the idea, but suddenly caught the scent of the Omega and stopped.

"Do you trust me?" Castiel questioned, softly and sweetly. Dean looked up.

He didn’t really know if he should trust the alpha, just as he didn’t know what he was agreeing to. He didn't understand why an Alpha, who apparently had enough money to buy an Omega, wanted him.

If he had money, he could buy the best Omega, educated, attractive, and not a damaged, marked Omega. Because he knew that this would be the first thing they would do to him when he entered the System’s facilities - they would mark him as an escaped Omega. And it would hurt, but what would hurt more than the physical pain would be the fact of having to carry that brand forever.

It was almost like a mark of Cain, forever on his arm, a curse to remind him of what he had done.

And there was the fact that if he managed to be Castiel's Omega, he would be a third-grade Omega. He already had three Alphas. And Omegas who had such a record were frowned upon by society.

Castiel could surely aspire to a better Omega. There was no point in loving Dean.

"I trust you," he whispered with fear, yes, but also with hope.

Castiel smiled as if someone had just taken the weight of the world off his shoulders. He nodded silently and then sighed.

"I don't think it's going to happen fast. But I will do whatever it takes. You have to be brave. I know you can do it. When everything gets hard, think of me and your brother. We are both waiting for you. ”

"Will you help me find my brother?" Dean asked in a trembling voice, he knew he had little time left and he couldn't leave without being sure of that.

"I will do it, I promise." Castiel was trying to smile now, but even he knew they were running out of time. "When they come looking for you, it’s important that you turn yourself in without resistance." The Alpha explained emphatically.

Dean nodded vigorously.

“We will say that I found you at the service station in a very bad shape. That you didn't remember what had happened. You got lost and wanted to come back… ”Castiel was speaking and Dean was trying to follow along, but stopped him when he got lost in the thread of the explanation.

"I didn't get lost. I ran away, ”Dean interrupted, confused.

"I know, but we can't tell them that you ran away. Let's do it differently. Do you agree?"

"I ran away but wanted to go back, but I got lost and I didn't know how to do it" Dean offered, somewhat doubtfully. He shouldn't lie to the Alphas or the System, but an Alpha, who was kneeling with him on the ground, was telling him that he had to lie.

But he trusted Castiel, he had already told him that, so now he had to move on.

"That's fine. That’s perfect." Castiel smiled but the joy did not reach his eyes, it was like a smile of satisfaction with the plan. And Dean could understand it.

"You ran away, you wanted to go back. Right away, that's important. But you were in another city, you didn't know, you got lost, you wandered until you reached the service station. ” Castiel repeated.

"That is a long way. I wandered that far? ” Dean was suspicious of the plan, he knew that the people from the System were going to be thorough with the interrogation, and that they would not stop until they got something out of him.

“You were disoriented, you didn't know where you were until you were with me and feeling better. You told me where you were from and I was trying to help you return,” Castiel continued narrating the story. "This is important too."

It was a lot of information, the story was way different than it had actually been, and Dean wished he had a notebook to write down what he should and shouldn’t say. But he knew it was impossible.

"Can you repeat that, please, Dean?" Castiel asked, helping Dean to his feet.

"I ran away, but I repented and wanted to return." he started, stuttering and nervous, but didn't stop. "I wanted to come back right away." Castiel nodded, following the thread. “But I got lost. I didn't know the city ”

"That’s very good" Castiel praised, satisfied. "Continue."

“The Alpha found me at the service station and brought me to his house. I didn’t know where it was. I told him where my Alpha was from and who I was. And he promised to help me get home. ”

"That's perfect!" Castiel smiled excitedly, squeezing the Omega's hands tightly. They hadn't let go of each other, and neither seemed interested in doing so. "Do you want to go to the bathroom or have something to eat?" Castiel asked nervously.

The Alpha heard the ticking of the clock echoing in the kitchen, and he knew that time was up.

Dean shook his head. He was pinned to the floor, feeling tears running down his cheeks again.

"You will be fine," Castiel reassured standing in front of him. "I…"

The alpha hesitated, the words stuck in his throat, but when he opened his mouth to continue, it was too late. Three loud knocks on the door made them jump in place.

Dean's heart was pounding in his chest. Instinct told him to run away, but he smelled the Alpha next to him, it was safe, and despite being so nervous, he still felt like he was in the best place in the world.

"We’re agents of the System. Open the door or we'll break it down! ” they screamed from outside, and Castiel seemed to realize where he was.

"I'm coming," he yelled in return and turned to Dean.

"Don't react," he whispered, releasing his hand and Dean felt as if he was losing his life jacket.

"I will be with you, and I need you to stay with me," the last words were a silent plea from the Alpha to the Omega, and he nodded silently.

Castiel crossed the distance that separated him from the door, and after taking a second to breathe, and dedicating one last reassuring look to Dean, who remained standing in the middle of the room, he opened the door.

Three armed men appeared before Dean's field of vision, who was still pinned to the ground, trying to hold his breath.

"We have an order to search your house. You’re hiding an Omega, ”the taller, rude man spat.

"That's him, sir!" the other man pointed out, one slightly shorter, and equally arrogant.

"I’m not hiding anyone. I only gave refuge to an Omega in need… ”Castiel started to say, but nobody seemed to listen to what he was saying.

Two of the men passed him by, pushing him in the process, to approach the Omega.

One of them, the one who had remained silent so far, pulled out a black baton and hit the Omega with it. It was so surprising and quick that Dean barely had time to think about defending himself. Anyway, it wasn’t like he was going to, he had promised not to react, and he knew it was for the best.

The Beta kept hitting again and again, until it knocked him to the ground. Castiel tried to fight it, tried to stop them with a shout, but the only thing he managed to do was to get the uniformed man who remained in the doorway to stop him, pushing him against the wall.

"We have an order to catch this omega." he replied, drily and stiffly. "If you obstruct the System you will be a prisoner."

"You don't have to hit him! He has not resisted! ” Castiel screamed, but to no avail, the two men continued to beat Dean until he was hugging his own body on the ground, his sobs barely audible amid the yells of the others.

When the Omega was restrained on the floor, without any sign of moving or crying, one of the System officials bent down and grabbed him by the arm. He lifted him up with the force of someone lifting a very heavy piece of furniture and dragged him to the entrance of the apartment.

Dean even complied, went along with it, and tried to move his feet in tune with the shoves of the Beta restraining him.

Everything hurt, he felt the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, and his sight was blurry, but he could still see Castiel being held back by an Officer. He looked pale, his blue eyes wide. As if he had seen a ghost. For a second he felt the need to tell him that everything would be fine. To run to comfort him, but that idea evaporated from his mind as soon as it came.

Suddenly he no longer believed in this Alpha. He never should have, he couldn't help him, however much he wanted. He tried to help him now, Dean had heard his screams and protests, but they had been useless. No one could intervene for him. Why would someone do it?

He allowed himself to be dragged into the elevator and raised his hands to protect his face when he was pushed inside. He turned just in time to see the metal doors slam shut and Castiel appeared, his hair disheveled and his gaze intense, before him.

He had no time to say goodbye. Or to say thank you. It had been a few days, but they’d been the best, and he would remember them fondly. He could say that for a few days, he had known what it was to be calm.

The elevator came to a sudden stop and the same Beta who was still holding the black baton tightly, pushed him out of the elevator into the arms of a fourth man waiting for him.

They led him to what looked like a truck parked outside, but before they approached it, someone's screaming stopped them.

Dean wanted to turn around to see who it was, already sure it was Castiel, but with a strong tug on his arm they returned him to his path.

"Dean, I'm going to find you. Don't give up ... Dean!" It was Castiel screaming, but a System officer prevented him from approaching.

The Omega tried to turn around again, he wanted to see Castiel again, afraid it would be the last time, but this time a blow to the stomach made him bend in half, and he almost fell to the ground, to his knees. He only hadn't because the Beta officer was still holding him very tightly.

They forced him to keep walking and when he was standing next to the truck, they opened the big cage and pushed him inside. This time, he could not stop the impact with his hands, so he hit the ground hard when he landed.

He felt like everything was spinning around him and realized he had hit his head. He tried to get up, but his strength had abandoned him. He could no longer fight, there was nothing more to fight for.

He hugged his legs to his chest, feeling his breath slow down. He closed his eyes, he didn't want to see the dark interior of this wooden cage. He didn't want to hear the sound of the vehicle's engine taking him to hell. He didn't want to hear Castel's screams on the other side of the door promising something he couldn't keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! be sure to comment and take good care of yourself!


	9. Dean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it took me a while to come back, but so many things have happened, that it has been a bit difficult for me to catch up with history. But I'm still working on it :) I hope you like this chapter and the sense it is taking. There are still many things to develop, and I intend to do so.
> 
> PS: I don't know if there is a Harry Potter fan here, but I started writing a Dramione <3 fanfic, but it's in Spanish. If someone is interested I can try to find someone to translate it.
> 
> I await your comments, which are love! Have a nice week.

Dean opened his eyes but saw nothing but darkness. Everything around him was dark, and as he moved he felt a sharp tug in his neck. He realized that it was because he had fallen asleep in a strange position, his body folded in a weird way, leaning against the wall, and his head had lolled to the side at a strange angle. It had resulted in the cramped muscles and pain.

He sat up carefully, with slow movements, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness, but he knew there was nothing to see in that place. It was a 2x2 cell, with a thick metal door that kept him from the outside.

It's not like he had an interest in being out there, anyway. It was ugly, dark and wet anywhere in the System Facility. There were screams from the detained Omegas, and from angry officials.

He breathed heavily, trying to remember how he had gotten to this place. Until the now familiar face of Castiel came to mind. His worried and intense gaze. Not only that, but also the brutal and strong officials of the System who pushed him into the cage inside the vehicle and then dragged him with force towards the Official Quarters of the Omegas System.

When he was presented to a manager, a certain Ketch with an unbearable tone of voice and an arrogant attitude, Dean tried to put the plan he had made with Castiel into practice, but he had spent hours in that small cage, in motion, he was hungry and cold, and he barely managed to open his mouth before a huge guard hit him again with the black baton.

They did not let him speak, explain, or do anything. Ketch, who was a high-grade Alpha in this place, looked at him with disdain and a grimace on his lips.

"Dean," he tasted his name as if he was trying something unfamiliar. "Another escaped Omega. Aren't those bastards tired of making us work? ” he spat and released a file, which surely contained the Omega's information.

"What do we do with him, sir?" asked the Beta who had come looking for Dean at Castiel's house.

"The usual. Bring him closer,” he ordered.

Dean was standing next to the other three officials, away from the Alpha who was at his desk. When he heard the alpha wanted to be approached, he panicked. He tried to stop it, but to no avail. Three men were more powerful than a weak one.

“Shh, take it easy, we're just going to tag you. You are Omega number 5743.”

Saying this, he gripped Dean's hand tightly and placed a number in ink. It didn't hurt, but it gave Dean the initial scare.

Now, in his cell, Dean ran his finger over the record on his hand, number 5743 was still there, to remind him where he was.

But that would only be the beginning of hell.

After the tagging, they ushered him down a dark, smelly, mossy green walled hallway. The two officials dragged him forward, with the alpha Ketch following closely, clad in his impeccable, perfectly ironed and perfumed suit.

And the corridor was long, putting distance between the inside of the Official Omegas Facilities and its reception room, which seemed like a four-star hotel in comparison, only gray, and lackluster, where everyone's footsteps echoed.

They stopped in front of a large metal door, and Dean's heart was about to jump out of his mouth. The Alpha stopped too, and looked up from the papers he had been holding and analyzing with an air of interest.

“We’re going to mark you and then you can go to your cell. Unfortunately, lunch has already been made today, but tomorrow you can eat together with the other Omegas, and if you are lucky in a few days you can return to your Alpha. ”

He spoke monotonously, like he was tired of repeating the same speech over and over, but anyone would have noticed the tint of satisfaction to his voice when he said that the Omega would now be marked, and that he would return to his Alpha, which, clearly, was nothing any escaped Omega wanted.

Dean ignored him; he wouldn't fall for his games. He knew how it worked, the System officials were always provoking, waiting for the Omegas to say or do something wrong, so that they’d be able to lock them up for longer, to have them under their control and their disposition.

Dean had never fled before, had never been to the Official Omega System Facility before, but he knew what they were like. When they had first found him they had taken him to the Official Installations of Colleges of the Omega System. And they were the same as here.

Ketch opened the door, which made an unbearable metallic noise as it opened slowly, and the officials led Dean inside.

It was a desolate and extremely small place. There was a metal table in the center, just next to it a lit torch. Despite the fire, the place was so cold that it seemed that if they spent there more than an hour, they would freeze.

Dean was pushed into the room, feeling his heart pounding in his ears.

"No, please, I didn't run away" the Omega tried to defend himself, knowing that it was in vain.

He felt his feet shuffle across the pavement, to a large, bearded man, watching him with cold eyes and a dark look.

"That’s him?" The man asked, an Alpha, Dean could smell his scent.

"Cain, this is Dean, the Omega who likes to run away from his Alpha," Ketch explained mockingly, patting the trembling Omega on the back.

"Please, please, Alpha ..." Dean twisted forcefully in the arms of the Betas holding him, but he could do nothing to free himself from their grasp. Without preamble, they dragged him closer to the table, and forcefully supported your right arm over it.

"Are you ready?" Cain asked, serious, empathetic.

Dean clenched his jaw. He knew there was nothing more to do, so begging wouldn’t change anything. And he was not going to do it, he was not going to crawl to the satisfaction of this group of people, who enjoyed watching an Omega suffer.

"Do it" Ketch encouraged.

"Boy, the Omegas who betray their race and flee their Alphas are marked so that they never forget their mistake again. You will carry this mark for the rest of your life, and I personally like to call it the mark of Cain." He finished his speech satisfied and removed something that Dean hadn’t seen before from the fire. A long black iron.

With slow steps he approached Dean, and held the Omega's hand from the other end.

Dean was sweating, fine beads of sweat dripping from his face, and he was terrified. But he wasn't going to let them see that. Carefully, he held Cain's gaze, trying to control his body not to betray his fear. 

And then Cain put the hot metal down on his skin, on his right forearm, slowly enough that every moment of that metal's contact with the skin was extremely painful.

Dean tried very carefully and he almost succeeded, but he let out an uncontrolled scream at the end, unable to bear it any longer.

He felt like he was going to pass out. His legs didn't seem to support his body. He was hungry, cold, and in pain. He wanted to crawl to somewhere warm. Almost without thinking an idea invaded his mind. Castiel's bed, and he is appearing before his eyes with a tray of food. But instead it was Ketch who appeared.

"That's it, boy. You already have the mark of Cain on you" Ketch smirked, appearing before the Omega's field of vision.

His knees had buckled, but he had not touched the ground but was hanging from the Betas' arms. He would have wanted to stare them down, to challenge the two Alphas, but all he could do at the moment was focus on continuing to breathe.

He stopped trying to think straight, and allowed himself to be dragged somewhere, where he was greeted with shouts and protests. They were many voices, in different tones and volumes.

Dean tried to look around, but unconsciousness claimed him and he closed his eyelids heavily again.

He woke up again, but was back in the cold, dark cell. He knew that he had not come here first, but to the cell shared with the other Omegas. He closed his eyes and tried to remember that moment, he had to stay awake and a good way to do it was to remember what had happened.

After giving him the mark of Cain, they led him down a cold corridor, between the screams and the noises, to a small room, where there were three other Omegas, curiously observing the one who was coming.

"You have a new partner" shouted the Beta who was carrying him.

Dean was pushed inside, but before he fell, one of the boys held him tightly, and helped him sit on the floor of the place.

"Hey, what’s your name?" The Omega shook him a little and Dean seemed to regain consciousness.

"Dean ..." he stammered.

"Dan?" Asked another Omega who was further away, leaning against the wall.

"Dean!" corrected the one in front of Dean, still holding his shoulders.

"He has the mark. Did you run away, boy?" Another inquired, and this time Dean insisted on opening his eyes to see who was speaking.

It was an Omega with red hair, and very white skin, almost as if he had not seen the sunlight in a long time.

"I tried to go back ... but I got lost" Dean repeated, not really knowing why he did it, but those words kept echoing in his mind. And the worst thing is that they were in the voice of the Alpha Castiel.

"You shouldn't have tried to go back. You should have kept going, we are not slaves to anyone. Even the Alphas" the red haired boy screeched.

"Shut up, Jacob," reprimanded the Omega who was nearest to Dean. "My name is Héctor" he gave him a kind smile and he seemed sincere.

"I am Jacob, I also ran away, but I did not try to return. Just run further" the red-haired Omega introduced himself, showing the three marks of Cain, with some pride.

"You? Did you run away too?" Dean questioned the Omega in front of him.

"No" he retorted with a sad look. "A friend of my Alpha tried to grab me and I defended myself. I pushed him away, but he said that I had provoked him. My Alpha believed him, and that's why he brought me here. But tomorrow he will come for me," Héctor concluded with some emotion and hope in his voice.

"He says that every day," explained Jacob.

"How many days have you been here?" Dean wanted to know, curious.

"Three days," Hector replied.

"One week," Jacob said in return.

"And you?" Dean asked the Omega who was silent, lying on one of the beds.

"Ten days." He said, in a cold tone.

"Why are you here?" Dean wanted to know. It was becoming increasingly interesting to him to know about those Omegas, who, like him, had gone through things with their Alphas.

"My alpha died" explained the boy.

"And you ran away," added Jacob.

"Shut up," he scolded him.

Jacob left his place, and moved in the small cell to stand on the other side of the bed.

"Robert's Alpha died. And instead of staying by his side, as he should’ve, he ran away," he explained with disdain.

"I saw an opportunity and I took it." The other cut off. Visibly upset.

"After three marks no Alpha wants you and you are out of the System" Dean spoke, looking at Jacob. That idea made him nervous.

"I don't care, that's just what I want."

"It is dangerous! You will have no one to take care of you, no Alpha to protect you. You will be alone, without a collar, any Alpha from the street will be able to take you for himself," interrupted Hector, who seemed to be a big defender of the rules.

"Cause collars always protect us, right, Hector?" Jacob asked sharply. And the one mentioned under the gaze.

"When I'm on my own no one is going to approach me. I’ll rip their eyes out with my teeth," he spat "we are not owned by anyone, even as Omegas, we are still people."

Dean looked at him for a moment; he seemed very sure of his words, and that unsettled him a little.

His arm ached, it was like a constant burning which bothered him and itched, but he tried to ignore it.

When the Omegas assigned him the bottom bed, he moved from where he was and settled on the soft, thin mattress. He had no idea what time it was, but he was so exhausted that he could have fallen asleep even if it was three in the afternoon.

He barely closed his eyes and a pair of eyes came to his mind. Intense blue eyes. Castiel's, when the elevator doors closed, and he stood there, panting, face pinched in worry. 

Dean rolled over on the bed, staring at the yellow wall.

"Castiel," he whispered to no one in particular, but he wanted to feel what that Alpha's name sounded like on his lips, even if it was for the last time.

He knew that the alpha was most likely not going to keep his promise, perhaps he was relieved that the escaped Omega had disappeared from his life. But Dean didn't hate him for that. His heart clenched whenever a memory of Castiel came back to him, but he clung to them like to a lifeboat. That Alpha, who did not know him, had given him food and a house without asking for anything in return. Without hurting him and without forcing him to do things he didn't want to do. Dean did not know any other Alpha like him, and he would be eternally pleased to have had the opportunity to meet him. He might never get to see Castiel again, but he had met him and that was worth a thousand days in the System already.

The next day they woke him up early, it was breakfast time.

To Dean's surprise it really was a breakfast; a huge room with long tables, and many Omegas that were entering the place and occupying the seats. Dean followed his cellmates to a table and sat next to a scrawny Omega and facing another dark-haired Omega who kept staring at him all the time.

They drank pure milk and ate toast, maybe a little overdone, but it was more than what he received with Alastair. According to his Alpha, Omegas only ate once a day, and not exactly for breakfast.

"There’s more food than back at my Alpha’s," Hector smiled cheerfully, echoing Dean's thoughts.

Dean was going to answer him, but his eyes fell on those of the dark-haired Omega who was still looking at him threateningly, and he opted to remain silent.

"Get up, it's time for the Section" someone shouted from someplace Dean couldn't see, but all the Omegas got up, stopping what they were doing.

"Where we going?" Dean asked Hector, concerned.

"We have group therapy," Jacob reluctantly explained, stepping between Dean and Hector.

"It’s a meeting where they explain to us how to be better Omegas" Héctor added, seeming very satisfied.

Dean stared at him in puzzlement.

"It sucks," Jacob spat.

"Don't listen to him. When your Alpha comes looking for you you will be a better Omega" Hector replied.

"Your Alpha is not coming today either, Héctor" Jacob snapped, looking happy to break the illusion.

"At least I have an Alpha" Hector retorted angrily.

"I'd rather die than have one," growled Jacob.

Dean smiled, amused. The exchange between these two amused him and made him forget his situation. The brand on his arm worried him. He was a tagged Omega now, and he knew that society despised tagged Omegas even more than regular Omegas. They were more susceptible to mistreatment and sexual assault, no one considered them worthy of respect because they had been able to flee and abandon their Alpha.  
At the same time, he couldn't stop thinking about his cellmates. Despite not being in a better situation he felt sorry for Héctor, it was clear that his Alpha had not planned to come collect him early, just as Jacob had saidl, but he also felt sorry for Jacob, who had no Alpha or a home to return to.

But after he reflected on it, he was also not very eager to have to go back to Alastair. Partly he felt that his days would not be very pleasant when he returned. They weren't before, but now his Alpha had even more reason to punish him. He had fled, and he knew Alastair would not let that go without consequences, and he was very afraid of punishment.

A thought invaded Dean's mind and almost made him stop short: Castiel is not going to let anything happen to you.

Dean sighed wearily. He wanted to believe him, but how? He was Alastair's Omega, and Alastair could do anything.

He knew about Castiel's promise, but he didn't want to hold on to something that might not happen, the disappointment would be worse. He preferred to remain rational. He was a marked Omega, he had fled, and his Alpha will be very angry.

Dean was following the crowd of Omegas through the corridors, which he supposed were leading to therapy, when a Beta held him by the arm and pulled him out of the group.

"You are in section 14."

He said those words and pushed Dean into the crowd again.

Dean kept walking almost passively and because the others were pushing him forward, but he had no idea what the Beta was referring to. Until he came to a part of the Center where there were many numbered doors, and there was section 14.

He went inside and to his surprise, there was the other Omega, the one from the Alpha who had died. Dean hesitated, but in the end he walked up there and sat next to him. When the Omega turned his face to look at him, Dean smiled at him, but the Omega did not return the smile. He turned his head and ignored him for the rest of the Section.

A bunch of instructions appeared on a screen before them , while a blonde woman stood in front of the group and started the longest and most boring monologue that Dean had ever heard.

It all revolved around how an Omega should behave, what to do and what not to do, the poses to perform when in front of an Alpha.

The first thing was to wait for him on his knees when he came back home. Dean knew that pose very well, it was one of Alastair's favorites. Dean was always waiting for him kneeling on the floor, looking at his hands, near the front door. When Alastair entered he would pick him up by the collar and indicate what he wanted him to do first. Serve dinner, present, or some other activity.

Then there was the head-down pose and standing next to the Alpha while he was eating. Without uttering a word, or looking. He had to wait for Alpha's reaction to the food and if necessary be ready for orders.

Presenting was one of the most important. Bent over bent knees. Well disposed to availability of the Alpha. Never make a lot of noise or complain. Accept what was given to them with happiness.

And then the one Dean liked the least. Kneeling on the floor, head down, hands on legs, waiting for the punishment they surely deserved.

It was an eternal list. After the poses they moved on to how to clean the house, how to cook, how to take care of your body for your Alpha. Dean was already exhausted from so much information, and it had only been forty-five minutes. He approached Robert and whispered in an almost inaudible tone.

"How long is this?" Dean asked.

"Three hours, sometimes more," Robert replied without moving, he sounded like he was used to it every day.

"That long?!" Dean squealed in disbelief, unable to control himself, louder than he should have.

The woman stopped her tireless chatter and turned to Dean.

"Do you have any questions, Omega?" Her contemptuous tone when saying Omega was palpable.

"No, sorry, ma'am," Dean whispered embarrassed.

"Better that way."

She continued her explanations and Dean sank down in the chair, it took forever to finish that.

Dean ‘s memory trip was cut short the moment a dull thump brought him to reality. To that cold, dark cell he was in now.

He did not hear what they were saying, but a plate of food entered through a small slot, which showed the light outside, but nothing more than that.

Dean moved around the place until he was close enough to feel the plate in the dark. 

He hurriedly put the food to his mouth. It was a cake with something, nothing very extraordinary, not even tasty, but at least it was something to eat. And he was starving.

Those days that he had spent at the Alpha Castiel's house had made him accustomed to eating several times a day, and very rich things, which some could say were worthy only of Alphas, not of Omegas. But Castiel gave them to him, without protest, without asking for anything in return. And that seemed so illogical. For a few days, he seemed to have been in an alternate reality. But that was over. And the worst thing was that he had not even obtained some minimum information about his brother.

Dean finished eating and leaned against the damp wall.

He closed his eyes trying to remember how he had ended up in that solitary cell.

After the interminable meeting, all the omegas continued walking together, towards an internal courtyard.

"It's the outside hour," Jacob had said when Dean met him again in the crowd. "The best thing about this place, after the meal, of course."

The hour in the sun offered no sun at all. It was a gray and rainy day. Clouds piled up in the sky, as if fighting to be the first to turn to rain. And their clothes flapped in the cold wind before the storm. 

Usually on days like this there was a better chance that Alastair's bar would fill up with customers, and that led to Dean having to go help him. He hated those days.

But here it didn't seem so bad.

Some Omegas played football, others chatted, and others moved freely around the place.

Of course, there were some guards watching them, System officials, armed like the ones who had come looking for him, but they didn't seem to pay any attention to him.

Héctor stopped next to Dean and Jacob, and then Robert arrived.

"How long does this last?" Dean asked.

"Don't get your hopes up rookie, it's only an hour," Jacob replied, without taking his eyes off the sky.

Dean smiled delightedly. That was much more time than he normally got to enjoy outdoors.

He rarely left the house. Sometimes to run errands, but these tasks were usually done with Alastair, who took him to the shops and waited for him, making sure Dean wouldn't spend more than he should. Which he never did. He bought only what was strictly necessary for the house or for his Alpha. Nothing else.

He spent the rest of the time enjoying the wind and the clouds. He looked at them longingly, and tried to find some with familiar shapes. He could swear he could see one forming a car and a gun, but when he asked Héctor, he said that he could see nothing.

For a moment Dean thought he saw a face, and it took him a while to realize who he was remembering. Castiel.

He knew he would never forget him. But everything that had come with that Alpha seemed so distant now. Including his promise. Who takes such a risk for an Omega? Why had he done something like that? Dean couldn't understand it.

He still remembered the man's factions, his features, the lines on his face. How he looked at him with those intense blue eyes. Everything in Castiel seemed to be intense, not just his gaze.

It would be a good memory to keep, and perhaps, while having a hard time back with Alastair, he could conjure up his life with Castiel and feel better.

He smiled at that idea. That would be his weapon against Alastair now. Nothing he’d to him would knock him down anymore because he had those sweet and cute memories.

When the hour in the sun came to an end, Dean stood up to follow the crowd, but someone pushed him and he almost fell. Instead he bumped into Jacob, who held him up.

"Watch where you're walking," spat a dark-haired Omega who looked angry and intimidating. 

Dean froze, looking at the man blankly. Then, he withdrew without adding anything else. He was slow to understand that it was the same alpha who observed him at breakfast.

"Don't mess with him," Robert spoke this time, and he looked serious, more than usual.

"Who?" Dean questioned, scared.

He didn't want to mess with anyone, but it wasn't him who had pushed.

"Gordon" Jacob explained, a tone of disgust in his voice. "The worst Omega you are going to come across."

"But I didn't do anything" Dean tried to defend himself, resuming the march.

"It doesn't matter. He is a pimple on everyone's ass. He’s only here to annoy everyone and nobody stops him" Jacob continued.

"He’s an Omega of a System official, that's why it happens here. No one seems to control it."

Dean kept walking, stunned and confused. Why would that Omega mess with him? He didn't understand why one Omega would mess with another Omega to begin with. He’d never heard of that. Omegas generally helped each other. They knew how difficult life was, and did not seek to complicate it further.

The following days were relatively calm. More of the same. The same Section with the blond-haired and strangely neat and perfect woman, who Dean discovered was called Lady Toni Bevell, a System social worker who took care of the Omegas.

Dean still remembered that when he moved in with his first Alpha it was because a Social Worker directed him to the best Alpha possible, and after a few days he visited them to ask them questions, mainly about whether Dean was being satisfactory for his Alpha or if he wanted to change him for someone else.

Another Social Worker went to Alastair's house years later. And both times he was lucky, his Alphas were satisfied and did not want to return him, which was a relief for Dean at those times.

This woman, on the other hand, seemed to be much smarter and more demanding than those who had visited him before. Somehow she made him afraid.

But the sections with her kept crawling, and all Dean did was think about how long he would be in that place. No one had said anything else to him. They had not called him to a room and made him confess his crime. They hadn’t even punished him in any way, other than the brand, and that scared him. Everything was too calm, and it scared him.

After the outside hour came the action. The Omegas had to clean the cells, the kitchen, the bathrooms and the corridors, so that they did not become lazy before they returned to the house with their Alphas.

It was exhausting, it was much more than cleaning a house. But at least it made time pass quickly.

After the activity, all the Omegas lined up for the bathroom. They entered in tens and had eight minutes to undress and bathe, in front of the others, each in a shower.

On the first attempt, Dean almost died of embarrassment. Even when he lived in the educational system they had individual toilets, and more or less ten minutes. But apparently time had decreased and privacy had been removed. It was not just about sharing the place with the other Omegas, but also with the Officers who were always present in all places and armed to the teeth.

They watched them take off their clothes, bathe, and controlled the time. But no Omega was there for over eight minutes, no one seemed willing to see the consequences of that.

Then they would go to their cells until the following day, when they would get pick up for breakfast. It wasn't a bad routine, Dean could really adapt to it.

There was no need to present for anyone, or be willing for the Alpha to take it when he felt like it. There were no exhaustive or repetitive sexual games. He really didn't miss Alastair's screams or his punches when he did something wrong.

It was simple, and he got along well with his cellmates. Until Gordon reappeared.

Dean had noticed that he still looked at him, watched him wherever they were.

He was lining up to go to the Omegas Behavior Section when Gordon got ahead of the crowd.

Dean was talking to Hector about one of the cooking classes he had had at the System School when he was still being admitted to the System, many years before, when a strong blow hit his ribs.

He closed his eyes in pain, totally disoriented with what had happened. These days away from Alastair had made him let his guard down and not be expecting blows from all sides.

Now they took him by surprise.

Dean fell to the ground, and took several other Omegas with him.

But something inside him exploded.

He had taken many hits from Alastair, and kept quiet, because that was his Alpha and he could do whatever he wanted with his Omega. And because Dean surely deserved them for being a bad Omega, or careless, or sloppy, or all of the above, but he would never accept it from another Omega.

A part of him from before, from when he lived with his father, when he took care of his little brother, when he wasn’t a submissive Omega, ignited inside him and made him react.

Almost without thinking, he stood up and charged at Gordon. He shoved him hard and wrapped his arms around his hips, like a hug but not friendly at all. He pushed him as far as he could and punched him hard, with all the force that had been contained all these years, and his fist collided with the Omega's abdomen and then with his face.

He immediately felt Gordon's responding blows as he tried to defend himself. First on the ribs, then on the chin. But Dean was not discouraged, he kept hitting, now anywhere he could.

And he was screaming, he could hear his own screams, Gordon's, and the other Omegas’.

He and Gordon continued to wrestle on the ground, throwing punches and kicks to those who approached too close until the shots rang out on the roof of the place.

The two Omegas broke apart instantly, Dean felt his heart pounding frantically, and the metallic taste of blood in his mouth.

But the other's appearance said everything, something that brought a pleasant smile to Dean’s face. At least until something hit him on the back of the neck with a dull thump.

He felt everything around him sway. Everyone seemed to move at a strange angle, but later Dean realized that it was not they who were moving, but himself, while losing consciousness.

Dean opened his eyes. He was still in that lonely cell where he had woken up a couple of hours ago, after feeling the blow in the nape of his neck.

Almost unconsciously, he touched it and felt some pain there.

His whole body actually hurt. But it had been worth it, for the first time in a long time the aching body was worth it because he had put the annoying Omega in his place, he had defended himself, as his father had taught him once, many years ago.

Dean slid to the ground and closed his eyes. He had no idea what time it was or how long he had been in that place. Or what was worse, how long he would still have to be in that place.

But there was something he could do that made time pass quickly and in a very pleasant way. Think of Castiel. The Alpha angel.


	10. Castiel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I've been missing, but let you know I'm still working on this story! One more chapter, which I hope you enjoy! I await your comments! I love :D

Chapter 10  
Castiel

Castiel ran into his apartment, didn't even take the trouble to close the door, his legs and hands were shaking, and he was badly aware if he was breathing or if he had stopped breathing when he last saw Dean.

He held the cell phone with his trembling hands and it slipped through his fingers, falling with a thud on the floor.

Castiel hurried to grab it again, this time concentrating on not shaking as much, an almost impossible task.

I unlock the phone and look for the number of Charlie, her friend and colleague by profession, she would help him.

The ringtones were endless, it seemed like hours and not seconds, until Charlie finally answered his cell phone.

"Hey Castiel!" she greeted with an animated tone of voice, as was usual for her, but Castiel did not take the trouble to listen to her or to answer her.

"They took him, they took him, Charlie, they took Dean" he knew he was screaming, he knew he felt frantic and uncontrolled.

Castiel spoke as he strode through the house. He took the suitcase out of the closet and turned a couple of clothes inside, without seeing what he was keeping, it didn't matter, the only thing that mattered was getting to Dean.

"Who? Who did they take away? ” Charlie asked, understanding his friend's despair, but not knowing who he was talking about.

Then Castiel realized that Charlie knew nothing. He hadn't told her about Dean, how he had found him, how he had been living the past few days with an Omega who had fled his Alpha.

"Dean is an Omega ... that ... ah ..." I didn't know how to explain everything to him in a few seconds. There was no way to summarize the last three days in a few words.

And besides, his mind kept going back to how he had been ripped from his home and pushed into that truck.

"Charlie, I need you to accompany me on a trip, it is urgent. I promise to tell you everything on the way" he explained, stopping in the middle of the apartment.

I could still see Dean there, I could still feel his scent and his fear. His eyes appeared every minute, scared, a deep green that left him breathless.

"Castiel ..." Charlie called and judging by his tone it was not the first time he called him.

"I-I'm here, I need to go and you have to come with me, please"

I knew she was going, they were friends years ago, Charlie was the most loyal friend I had.

"Man, I don't understand anything of what you're saying and I hope you have a very good explanation prepared. But I'm going, of course I'm going" she replied and he couldn't help but release the air that he had been holding in his lungs.

"Now where exactly are we going?" I consult, somewhat hesitant.

"To Kansas City, to look for Dean" Castiel returned, firm and determined.

He had made a promise and intended to keep it.

Charlie didn't take long to cut off the call, and Castiel paced the house at lightning speed gathering more things. Random clothing, shoes, your documents, credit cards, passport, and anything else you found that you found useful. Then I check to make sure everything is closed and left the apartment.

He went down the same elevator that Dean had left more than an hour ago, and the whole journey to the basement made him hard as a statue, holding his breath, avoiding thinking about what had happened just a few minutes ago.

If he closed his eyes he saw the look of Dean crying out for help.

"I'm going to look for you, Dean" he whispered to the wind.

He walked across the parking lot, to his car, where he had left it the day he arrived with the Omega.

He didn't stop to think about it, he couldn't afford to waste minutes.

the car's engine came to life, and it sped through the parking lot at high speed.

He ran down the route to get to the airport to find out that there were no flights leaving within four hours for Kansas City, which made him even more nervous. By the time he arrived in the city, Dean had probably already arrived, had already been introduced to the System, and was already one more Omega among many others. And even worse, he was closer to getting back with Alastair.

The idea sickened him. He still remembered the scars on his palms, the fear, his body trembling at any movement ...

Castiel was resting his head in his hands, bent forward on the uncomfortable and hard waiting bench when Charlie arrived.

She was carrying only a backpack, dressed in colors, and had her red hair cascading down her shoulders.

"You look green, are you okay?" She asked when she approached her friend. No hello, how are you, what happened, just Charlie being Charlie.

"I think I'm going to throw up" Castiel assumed, running his hand over his face.

He felt bad, he was cold, but he knew that it had nothing to do with his body, but with what he was feeling. With the nerves of losing Dean and never seeing him again, of not being able to do anything to help him, of being late, of not being able to avoid him returning with his damn Alpha…

"Okay, buddy, this is the moment you explain to me what's happened" Charlie sentenced, sitting next to him and dropping his heavy backpack on the ground.

Castiel raised his eyes to her. He felt his heart tighten in his chest.

"I can't lose it, Charlie," she whispered before beginning to feel the tears in her eyes.

Her friend raised an eyebrow, clearly very confused.

"Dude, the last time I saw you, you were going to court to please your father, and that was four days ago. How much can happen in four days?" She asked, visibly confused.

"I'm going to tell you everything" Castiel agreed.

Castiel closed his eyes, hoping that the nausea will pass. She took a deep breath and turned to her friend.

"Charlie, rescue an Omega who ran away from his Alpha and put him in my house in the last three days" he spat suddenly, hard and raw.

Holy shit, Castiel! She bellowed, a mixture of admiration and disbelief on her face. "Tell me everything" she almost screamed.

"When I was on my way to judgment we stopped at a service station. And there was an Omega ..."

Castiel ran his hand over his forehead, trying to erase that moment that had hurt him so much to see.

"An Alpha wanted to attack him, take him home ... take him to hurt him, Charlie"

When Castiel spoke, he knew that his voice was cutting off and that more tears were coming to his eyes, but he also knew that it was something impossible to make him stop, so he took a breath and continued:

"And he can't sit still, I stepped in and managed, along with the owner of the place, to get the Alfa to leave."

It stopped abruptly because the loudspeaker announced something, and several people started moving. It was not his flight, but he stopped to watch those people grab their luggage and walk briskly toward the plane.

Would they also be saving an Omega from their Alpha? Castiel knew that most of the people who were in place were Alphas, he felt it in their scents and could see it in their attitudes. There were some Betas, but they were more discreet.

He looked around trying to find some Omega. He didn't know why he suddenly felt that need. He had never stopped to look for Omegas in the places he was. I saw them, I saw how they treated them, but now I looked for them.

And there were some. An Omega sitting on the floor next to his Alpha, who was in the chair. Another Omega standing against a wall, head bowed.

A sign caught his attention. Omegas only dressed.

He knew that in some places it was forbidden for Omegas to circulate without clothing, but it caused revulsion that it was not even necessary to demand.

Many Alphas did not consider it necessary to dress them, give them a decent life ... they felt like vomiting just thinking that Alastair could be in that category.

"Castiel ..." Charlie called out to him and he turned to face her. She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "What happened next? How did the Omega end up at your house?" She asked curiously.

"Ahm… I went back to the station, I still remembered it and wanted to see that it was okay. B-but it wasn't okay, Charlie, he was feverish and if I left him there he was going to die. I couldn't allow that to happen, he was a person, an Omega, yes, but a person ... "

Castiel pressed his arms against her body. And he remembered that that was a typical Dean posture. Many times she had seen him doing it, those days he was at home, he did it when he felt fear, when he felt vulnerable, just like Castiel felt now. Terrified of not being able to do anything to fulfill his promise.

"Dude, I'm not surprised you did. You did the right thing." Charlie encouraged him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and squeezing gently to cheer him up.

Castiel returned a smile. He was very relieved that she was by his side.

"Take him home and take care of him. He had a fever, he had some wounds from the other jerk Alpha who hit him ... but also old scars, from his current Alpha. That hits him, hurts him ... and I can't leave him with that man. No may l."

She looked at Charlie for approval, but all she found was her friend's face creased with doubt.

"Charlie ..."

"Dude, I'm on your side, always. But the boy has an Alpha, and the Alphas, unfortunately, have the right to treat their Omegas as they wish" she returned.

"I'm going to buy it" Castiel revealed, under her watchful eye.

"You go to what?" Charlie exclaimed

"I'm going to buy Dean from his Alpha," he explained.

She raised an eyebrow. I knew it was possible. She was a lawyer like him. Perhaps they had never seen a case about an Alpha understand an Omega from another Alpha, but they knew it was possible, and that it had already happened.

"Many Alphas buy their Omegas" he sentenced, in case she had forgotten about that.

"I know," Charlie agreed.

"Maybe for the wrong reasons. Because they are infatuated with an Omega, or because they want to have several Omegas, or to make them work, but they do it." Castiel defended his point.

"Are you sure this is not just a whim? Dude, don't misunderstand me," she hastened to say when Castiel sent her a murderous look "but Dean has an Alpha, from which he ran away. Whether you want to or not, that speaks a bit badly of him ... I know, I know, he was mistreating him, that's true. Maybe he's actually a bad Omega ... "

"It isn't, Charlie. Dean wants to find his brother. And he's so scared of Alphas in general. He even looks me in the eye."

"This is how they teach them," added Charlie, in a sad tone of voice.

"I promised that I would help him find his brother and I will", Castiel sentenced.

"I understand, but you understand that buying Dean is not just buying an Omega, right? You are going to buy an Omega by legal means, that means that you are going to have to marry him, with papers and everything."

"I'm willing to do it" Castiel spoke firmly, but Charlie still insisted.

"Wouldn't it be better if you did it illegally?" I consult, somewhat hesitant. "I know, man, I know", he quickly added when he saw Castiel's gaze "we are people of the law, lawyers and we act under divine justice, but in this case maybe doing it by other means maybe is the best thing. Just think with me ... we look for that Alisatar ... "

"Alastair" Castiel corrected him.

"Alastair and we tell him that we want to buy his Omega. We pay him, you pay him, I no longer have any money" he added quickly, to make it clear and his friend agreed, he had not put her into this to help him financially "and then you have to Omega, they don't have to get married, you are free in case Dean gets a pain in the ass, and when you finish helping him find his brother, he can go with his brother and you return to your life, without complications. "

Castiel considered the possibility for a few seconds. He wanted to help Dean find a brother, and free him from Alastair, and perhaps doing it by illegal means was not a bad idea.

Who could assure you that when they found Dean's brother, Dean would not want to go with his brother? Maybe he was an Omega who had a good family and could go with them. Or maybe he was a Beta and could take care of Dean ...

Dean might not want to live with Castiel, despite the fact that he had said that if he wanted to, but Castiel knew that it could be due to the heat of the moment ... but he also knew that he could not protect Dean if they were not married under the law. Alastair could claim him as his Alpha again, and the law stated that the Alpha married to Dean was Alastair.

Castiel was a lawyer and knew the importance of a role that said Dean belonged to him.

"That's not going to happen, Charlie" Castiel said, looking up to see her "I'm going to marry Dean and if later he wants to go with his brother we will solve it. We will cross that bridge when we get to him, now I am going to get Dean from the clutches of Alastair, once and for all. "

"Okay, it's your choice and I won't object to that," she agreed, then looked back at him, her gaze more intense. "I hope you're doing the right thing."

"Me too," Castiel added.

He had no doubts about his decision, maybe a little scared. He felt like he was running toward a cliff without knowing what was below. But something told him it was the right thing, despite the fear and the doubts, that was the right direction.

They sat watching the planes decorate for the next hour, until Charlie went in search of coffee for the two of them and returned with that and fast food, which she devoured in seconds, but which Castiel could hardly prove. Her stomach was churning, she couldn't stop thinking about Dean.

When his flight was announced Charlie already had his ticket purchased and the two walked towards the boarding area. The afternoon chill greeted them as they emerged from inside the air-conditioned building. The wind shook his clothes, and Castiel tightened his jacket as they stripped away the distance with the plane.

Charlie and Castiel headed to their places, which were not together. But it didn't matter anyway, Charlie couldn't do anything to distract Castiel from his thoughts, even if he wanted to.

Charlie plugged his big headphones into his ears and forgot about the world.

Castiel for his part tried to distract himself with a program on television, but it was a slow and boring plot that ended up convincing him to turn off the monitor and remove his headphones. He tried to focus his attention on the magazine he had to read on the trip, but the only article that caught his attention was one titled "How to make your Omegas tame" and the options ranged from horrible to negligible. Between allowing Omegas access to the nest twice a week; or when you punish him make him understand why you are punishing him; and even buy him something he likes to eat once a month, creating a routine ... and so for the worse.

Castiel's stomach contracted again. The idea that Alastair was going to hurt Dean made him panic. Every time I thought about it I wanted to get off the plane and run to get there faster. He knew they were moving, but he couldn't help feeling that they weren't moving fast enough.

He reluctantly folded the magazine and put it in its place. I wasn't going to read that.

Then I look away to look out the window. At least that way I could see how they passed over the clouds, and how they were eliminating distance towards Dean.

Castiel tried to sleep but was unsuccessful, and when it finally seemed that tiredness was going to overcome his thoughts, the arrival of his flight at the Kansas City airport was announced, which reassured him and made him even more nervous.

Now he had to face the facts.

Castiel gathered up his things and headed with the other passengers to the exit. But it was difficult to be a person in a hurry among so many slow people, who walked two steps for hours and seemed to be in no rush, so without preamble Castiel began to ask permission and push those who did not move, and Charlie passed him apologizing and saying it was an emergency.

They managed to get off the plane, but getting out of the airport still took considerably longer. Castiel was impatient and Charlie tried to calm him down without much success.

"Should we go find a hotel to stay or ..." Charlie started but Castiel stopped her as she went out into the street to stop a taxi.

"No, we're going straight to the System. I need to know if Dean is here and talk to him."

Charlie watched him nervously. He highly doubted that his friend would manage to speak to the Omega, but contradicting him didn't seem like an option.

The two got into the taxi and toured most of the city until they reached the System Facilities.

Castiel stood in front of the place and looked at it with disdain. He had already been to the System facilities in his city to solve some slopes between Alphas by Omegas, but now it was different.

He took a deep breath, looked away from Charlie, who nodded at him, and they both entered the building.

It was a huge building, it took up an entire block. It was separated from the sidewalk by a long flight of stairs. Seen with the naked eye it looked like a hotel, but if you paid a little attention you should realize that it was not.

The Latin words "ordo et militaris discipline" (order and discipline) and the relief-drawn walls of Alphas standing on Omegas kneeling, showed clearly the place in question.

When they entered, inside the cold and silence of the place enveloped them.

The entrance hall was not at all warm. On the contrary, somehow the walls seemed to suppress painful memories. Probably from Omegas who were crying for their destinies. Omegas sold, and Omegas who returned to Alphas who did not want, or who suffered at the hands of those who considered them inferior.

"I don't like this place," Charlie whispered, but in the deathly silence his voice echoed throughout the room, and a man at a desk looked up at them.

"How can I help you?" He asked from the other side of the room, but even with the distance his voice resonated and both Charlie and Castiel listened without difficulty.

Castile nodded in agreement and walked for what seemed like a block to where the man was sitting. And Charlie followed closely, looking around at everything.

"Hi, my name is Castiel Novak" Castiel said and waited for the man to introduce himself, but as he did not intend to do so, he was forced to continue. "I want to speak to an Omega" he revealed, without preamble.

The man, an Alpha from what Castiel could feel in his scent, raised an eyebrow and adjusted his perfect suit.

"What is the name of the Omega?" He questioned, calm, like someone who just got up and has all the time in the world.

"Dean ..." Castiel returned and realized he didn't know Dean's last name. But it was not necessary because the perfect man did not seem to need more information.

He checked through a folder and checked some papers, until he looked up.

"Ah yes, I see, I entered not long ago. The Omega fled ... you are him ..." he started, but stopped abruptly and analyzed Castiel from top to bottom "You are not the Alpha of this Omega."

"No, I'm not, but I need to talk to ..." Castiel tried but the Alpha made a gesture with his hand.

"In that case, you cannot speak to the Omega."

"Needed…!" Castiel tried again, this time raising the tone of his voice.

"I'm very sorry, but you can't. It's the rules. You should go" his tone of voice hinted that he didn't really feel anything.

"I'm not going anywhere until I talk to Dean ..." Castiel yelled and Charlie tried to calm him down, but to no avail, Castiel broke free of his hands and started to wander around the place, screaming.

"Dean! DEAN! Dean ...!"

"Somebody shut up that crazy man, please" the other Alpha shouted. Two security men appeared and threatened to approach Castiel, but Charlie acted quickly and stopped them.

"You're crazy! You're not going to accomplish anything like that" Charlie snapped, holding his friend by the arms and forcing him to shut up.

"Charlie I have to ..."

"I know, talk to Dean, but that's the only way you're going to get them to run and not let you go back inside." Charlie took him aside, away from the security that was threatening them. "Now calm down and let me handle it."

She watched him until Castiel nodded, and when she was sure he wasn't going to come out screaming again she released him and started walking towards the Alpha.

"With your permission, I apologize for my friend's behavior. I am Charlie Bradbury." She held out her hand in formal greeting, and the Alpha took it with some suspicion.

"Ketch. Arthur Ketch" he replied squeezing his hand.

"Nice to meet you." Charlie released his grip on the Alpha and casually approached Ketch's desk.

"You see, my friend is very interested in that Omega, and he is interested in buying it. I was wondering if he could provide me with some contact from Dean's Alpha, in order to be able to do business. I suppose the System does not oppose this type of transaction" Charlie said. He gave a friendly smile and an intense look and the Alpha sat back, somewhat uncomfortable.

He seemed to carefully evaluate the proposal and watched Castiel following him from a distance, until he agreed.

"Okay, well, I'm going to pass you the Dean's Alpha contact. But please, check up on your friend."

With a wave of his hand, he pulled the security guards away from Castiel, and after a few seconds handed Charlie a printed paper with the Alastair's contact phone number.

"Thank you very much." Charlie waved goodbye, and approached Castiel, handed him the sheet and the two left the System facilities. Castiel pushed by Charlie.

"I should call him" Castiel spoke but he felt absent and weak.

She had been unable to speak to Dean, and was beginning to understand that she most likely would not succeed.

"We will, but before we must find a hotel, you look worse at every moment"

Charlie helped him into a taxi, as Castiel began to feel like he was falling apart. I was about to lose all hope. She hadn't seen Dean, she probably wouldn't, and her only chance of her promise being fulfilled lay on a sheet printed with a phone number.

"What should I tell you?" Castiel questioned when they were halfway.

"We'll come up with a plan." Charlie took the paper from him and put it in his backpack. "Rest your head, you're very white. Did you eat something?" She asked, but Castiel didn't seem to hear her.

He was dizzy, the taxi was two steps and braking, and already felt the stomach move in his body. He was sure he was going to throw up at any moment.

I hear Charlie speak but I wasn't sure what he said. And when he was considering moving around to think about getting out of this car she picked him up by the arm and helped him down.

"Charlie, wait ..." Castiel tried to call because he was sure they shouldn't be entering a hotel. They had sold to find Dean and were to find him. Why wasn't he with Dean?

"Wait for me for five minutes"

Charlie put his bags on the floor next to him, where he helped him sit down, and stopped to look at him.

"Dude, don't move" it looked serious but out of focus.

Then it disappeared for what I appreciate forever.

Castiel leaned back on the sofa, which suddenly felt very comfortable. He wasn't sure what was happening to him, but suddenly he felt very weak and tired.

"Dean ..." he whispered to no one in particular, and no one answered him.

Castiel tried to get up. I had to find it.

But suddenly the floor was very close to his face. How had that happened?

He closed his eyes and gave himself up to the weakness that suddenly overwhelmed him.

It felt good to give himself up to her.

Darkness absorbed him and everything around him dissipated


End file.
